One fast-growing grocery chain is the top choice when it comes to low prices. Another big chain not exactly known for low prices instead gets high marks on its sales and promotions. And a regional favorite boasts the most loyal grocery shoppers of all, who’d rather not get their groceries anywhere else.
Advantage Solutions names these winners and more, in its new Advantage Shopper Outlook. It asked shoppers where they like to shop, and why – and the lengths they’re willing to go to, to get the best groceries and deals.
While some shoppers prefer premium products, or whatever is trendy at the moment, most are primarily concerned with one thing – price. 83% of the shoppers surveyed said they choose where to shop based on everyday low prices or sales and promotions.
They’re certainly related, but low prices and good promotions are different things. And shoppers go to different places, depending on what they prioritize the most.
The clear favorite among those who seek out everyday low prices, without having to use coupons or wait for sales, is ALDI. Among those who shop there, 87% said it’s because they prefer the store’s low prices. WinCo Foods was close behind, followed by H-E-B, Trader Joe’s and Walmart.
When it comes to sales and promotions, shoppers’ top choice may come as a bit of a surprise to the uninitiated. 73% of Publix shoppers say they choose to shop there because it has the best deals. Even though Publix shoppers are likely to find that the store’s regular prices are higher than many competitors, Advantage survey respondents said the store is best at offering “quality favorites at a price they can afford.” Kroger, which was recently named the “most promotional” grocery chain in another report, came in second in this survey, with 72% drawn to its deals. Ahold Delhaize (owner of Food Lion, Giant and Hannaford) and Albertsons rounded out the top four.
But even shoppers’ favorites don’t have a monopoly on their grocery budgets. Overall, Advantage found that shoppers regularly buy groceries from an average of 4.1 stores. “This marks a significant drop from the 5.5 average stores shopped in 2021, when out-of-stocks and supply chain issues drove consumers to multiple stores to find items,” the report noted. So shoppers are somewhat less inclined to cherry-pick, looking for the best groceries at the best prices wherever they can find them.
But some still do. Those who shop at Whole Foods Market are the least loyal in Advantage’s survey – they shop at an average of 4.5 other stores in addition to Whole Foods. Most loyal, in contrast, are shoppers at Texas’s hometown favorite H-E-B, who shop at an average of only 2.3 other stores.
“However, loyalty only goes so far,” the report observed. “As good as any retail experience is, two-thirds of shoppers today still have a couple of preferred stores where they spend the most money,” and not a single favorite. Only 27% typically shop at just one store, while 7% have no particular favorites at all and shop anywhere and everywhere. The vast majority said they “have a couple of preferred stores for groceries – it just depends what’s on my shopping list.”
It also depends on what type of shopper they are. 34% said they “care about the classics,” sticking to a familiar list at stores where products are reliably in stock. Those shoppers tend to prefer H-E-B and Meijer most of all. The 24% who prioritize value opt for ALDI and WinCo Foods. And “shoppers with the most to spend gravitate towards stores known for their quality,” Advantage found. 13% consider themselves “buyers of the best,” where “price doesn’t matter.” Whole Foods is their top choice – and no other grocery retailer even comes close.
No matter what they’re looking for, the report’s main takeaway is that shoppers are beginning to settle on their favorites. “When out-of-stocks are less of a concern, shoppers will reduce their number of shopping locations,” Advantage concluded. But that said, “they expect savings in exchange for their loyalty.”
Some grocery shoppers will always be willing to drive all over town for the best deals. For the rest of us who’ve settled on a couple of favorite stores, those stores had better deliver on the deals – or they won’t be our favorites for long.
Image source: ALDI
