November 2020 - 44

FARM MARKET & AGRITOURISM
The pandemic changed the way consumers shop
BRIAN MOYER
Penn State Extension
bfm3@psu.edu
After the World Health Organization
declared COVID-19 a pandemic on
March 11, 2020, there has been a
significant impact on grocery shopping
behavior across the country, according to
shopper researcher Catalina.
Consumers are making fewer trips to
the grocery store, but they are spending
6% more per trip. Catalina captures
Universal Product Codes that are
scanned daily to track buying behavior.
They saw that consumers made more
trips in March at the beginning of the
pandemic and reduced trips in April.
From May through September, grocery
store trips are down 10%.
Frozen food sales increased 17.4%
year-over-year during the last week of
August - marking the 25th consecutive
week of double-digit gains in dollar sales
for the category. Frozen meals had the
highest sales share, followed by frozen
meat, poultry and seafood.
Consumers are trying to find a balance
between comfort and health, according
to Grocery Dive. Frozen pizza was up
18.6% the last week of August while meat
substitutes were the fifth-highest growing
category over the last six months.
Anecdotally, I'm hearing similar
observations from farmers' markets and
retail farm markets. Managers are reporting
that customer counts are down, but gross
sales are higher than the previous year.
According to the marketing firm,
Acosta, more than half of consumers
are eating at home more often. While
25% on consumers are getting tired
of cooking, 35% have found a new
passion for cooking.
So, what does all this data mean?
Retail at its best always comes down to
solving our customers' problems and
this data gives us some insight into how
consumers have been purchasing in this
pandemic year and what purchasing
habits may stick around.
Take away: Consumers are making
fewer trips but purchasing more.
They are eating more meals at home
so cooking and the family meal have
returned. They are looking for a balance
between healthy and comfort food.
They still have a need for convenience.
Lastly, we all have had a front-row-seat
view into our food system and there is
greater interest in local, short supply
chains.
Here are some ways we can address
these new trends in our markets.
Emphasize products that are local.
Right now, consumers are looking for
food security and safety and they feel
that local, short supply chains give
them that security. A recent Produce
Marketing Association survey of
consumer sentiment showed that 56%
of consumers are concerned about the
safety/cleanliness of fresh produce.
Create some labor-saving meal
preparation solutions like marinades
for meat, and side dishes that just need
to be heated and served. Don't just offer
them green beans, offer them meal
suggestions. " Our green beans go great
with ham and new potatoes. "
Consider offering self-stable items in
bulk. Again, it's the feeling of security to
have these things on hand in the pantry.
Online ordering is here to stay. Those
markets that offer online ordering are
probably seeing customers that they
haven't seen before. Even if it is only
a small percentage of your gross, the
trend is that it will continue to grow, and
the shopping experience needs to be as
rewarding as the in-store experience. FGN
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November 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November 2020
