David Orgel's Viewpoint column of September 26, “Supermarkets Underestimate Their Value Appeal,” points to “surprisingly good news” for grocers in a consumer survey that found 26.4% of respondents cited chain grocery stores as the format they are shopping more often to get good deals. The column mentioned a related trade survey that shows the food industry expected that percentage to be much lower.
I interpreted the stats differently since I've read how millennials talk about traditional supermarkets. 26.4% doesn't seem so impressive if you add up the collective competition. 71.3% prefer to shop at other formats for the best value!
These shopping preference should be a concerning trend for supermarkets. In WD's “Grocery's Next Generation” research, the percent who prefer to shop at traditional supermarkets are as follows: boomers 72%, Gen X 61%, millennials 54%.
Millennials also say they either “love” or “enjoy” grocery shopping more than the other generations (56%). But they have different expectations for their shopping experience. (They described supermarkets as “old school.”)
