08/03/2023
Consumer Trends from July
Findings from 84.51's latest survey indicate concern over inflation is dwindling, Millennials are engaging more with meatless options, and shoppers are divided on what promotions they prefer most.
Back-to-School Trends
- 42% of shoppers haven’t started back-to-school shopping, while 14% have. (Back- to-school shopping doesn’t apply to the remaining 44% surveyed.)
- Broadly, shoppers are purchasing from multiple retailers for back-to-school supplies, with the most common destination being mass merchants.
- More than half of shoppers said they do not purchase back-to-school supplies from drug stores (e.g., CVS, Walgreens) or club stores (e.g., Sam’s, Costco).
- 41% of consumers plan to prepare more meals ahead of time when school is back in session, and 30% plan to purchase more pre-made meals, fruits and vegetables.
Promotional Effectiveness
Shoppers are divided on what promotions they prefer most.
- 17% of shoppers ranked digital coupons lowest on their list.
- Digital coupons are leveraged most when shopping perimeter categories (e.g., produce, dairy, meat/seafood), while threshold events and endcaps are used most often when shopping center store (e.g., shelf-stable, drinks & snacks/candy).
- Lower income shoppers cited digital promotions as the top way to save money, while higher income shoppers gravitate towards threshold events.
- When it comes to threshold events (e.g., BOGO/spend x, save x), the most popular is “Spend $15, Save $5,” particularly for younger shoppers.