From chaos to convenience

Navigating the new normal of grocery shopping

Remember when grocery shopping was simple, and dare I say, fun? I remember the excitement I would get from browsing the aisles for new items that I couldn’t wait to get home and try.

Nowadays, grocery shopping seems more like a chore. While it is intended to be a routine task to get the shopper in and out of the store, today’s grocery shopping experience looks much different. Consumers are bombarded with seemingly endless options and promotions in every direction, forcing the shopper to re-evaluate their strategy when walking into a store—from where to shop to what to buy to when they can find the lowest price.

One common pain point are high food prices—which are forcing consumers to make difficult decisions. It’s no surprise that grocery prices have skyrocketed since the pandemic and remain high. In the US alone, grocery prices have increased by up to 21% since 2021 and continue to rise in 2024, albeit at a slower pace.¹ Salaries haven't kept pace with the rampant price hikes, making financial conditions seem worse off compared to before the pandemic. On top of that, government subsidies from the pandemic have stopped and supply chain challenges have run rampant.

While consumers have historically gravitated toward national brands, now many people simply can’t afford them. Those that are affordable often sell smaller quantities at the same price, a phenomenon known as shrinkflation, meaning consumers get less food for the same price. In the packaged foods aisle, the overwhelming array of alternatives, claims and price points leads to decision paralysis, prompting some consumers to visit another grocery store in the neighborhood, or abandon their purchase altogether. This article will outline the stress that today’s shopping experience is placing on consumers, and what grocers can do about it.

The grocery shopping experience is overwhelming the customer

Grocery shopping is meant to be a simple and routine task. Today, it has become complex and stressful. Shoppers are feeling anxious and overwhelmed as they try to make the right purchase decision. Our 2024 Consumer Pulse research reveals that overall, 41% of customers find decision-making harder than it was three years ago, and 56% feel it is more important to make the "right" decision now.²

Grocery shoppers now make multiple visits to grocery stores but are spending less time per visit. This translates into smaller shopping baskets per visit.³ Recent data shows customers bought groceries from an average of 20.7 different retailers between March 2023 and February 2024. This is up 23% from the same time frame between 2019 and 2020.

In addition to visiting more stores, shoppers are also traveling to cheaper ZIP codes to shop.⁴ From comparing prices and nutritional information to navigating promotional offers and ethical claims, the decision-making process is full of challenges and stress. Now more than ever, the grocery shopper is maneuvering advertising chaos, wading through multiple choices and analyzing hundreds of claims to be able to make a purchase decision that fits within their budget.

What’s causing the stress?

Analysis of grocery shopper data from our Consumer Pulse research across 12 countries reveals key areas that cause stress in the decision-making process. These are present across the three phases of the purchase journey: awareness, consideration and evaluation. 

Decision stress is the confusion, anxiety or overwhelming feeling that shoppers experience when trying to make the right purchase, and the workload involved in the decision process itself. About 70% of customers experience stress in finding suitable options and researching about them. Grocery shoppers experience significant stress in the evaluation state—80 percent of customers find it difficult to decide between various options.