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Consumables lead pantry must-haves one year into pandemic

Food and beverages top CPG spending increases, NCSolutions study finds

Russell Redman

March 15, 2021

5 Min Read
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Fueled by food, CPG expenditures rose an average of 14% year over year from March 2020 through February 2021, NCSolutions reported.Walmart

At the one-year mark into the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans have upped their spending in certain food and beverage categories and deem some consumer packaged goods (CPG) as must-haves for their pantry, new research from NCSolutions shows.

CPG expenditures rose an average of 14% from March 2020 through February 2021 compared with the prior-year period, advertising efficacy specialist NCSolutions said Monday, citing its latest consumer purchase data.

Food and beverage segments that saw the largest dollar sales increases during the period were led by staple items such as frozen foods ( 29%), dry grains and beans ( 28%), baking ingredients ( 27%) and fresh produce ( 24%). Also seeing sizable gains were alcohol ( 23%), breakfast foods ( 21%), soft drinks ( 18%), coffee ( 14%), snacks ( 13%) and sweets ( 12%).

NCSolutions COVID One Year Study-CPG spending.jpg

Driving those spending hikes, in part, was a higher propensity to cook at home, as most of the country grappled with stay-at-home orders to minimize the spread of the virus. Forty-seven percent of respondents to the NCSolutions March 2021 Consumer Sentiment Survey said they cook at home more frequently than before the pandemic, while 41% indicated they cook as often and 7% do so less frequently. 

In addition, with people stuck indoors, 91% reported they snack while engagement in entertainment activities, including 42% who “always” or “almost always” do so.

Related:Supermarkets find sweet success in the candy aisle

New York-based NCSolutions analyzed 12 months of its purchase data and surveyed 2,017 U.S. adults to identify changes in the grocery shopping basket and consumer habits during the COVID-19 crisis, including potentially lasting new behaviors.

The findings reveal a predilection for food and household items that Americans now feel they must always stock in their home. Top items they plan to keep on supply in their pantry include cleaning supplies (cited by 81%); bathroom tissue and paper goods (80%); shelf-stable foods like rice, pasta, beans and soup (72%); basic health care items like analgesics, cold/flu/allergy remedies and a thermometer (63%); proteins like chicken, fish, steak, tofu, pork and eggs (63%); and fresh fruit and vegetables (63%).

NCSolutions COVID One Year Study-pantry.jpg

Other CPGs now considered mainstays for the post-pandemic pantry are snack foods such as chips, nuts and pretzels (58%); convenience/frozen foods (57%), baking ingredients such as flour and sugar (55%); vitamins and supplements (54%); soft drinks (44%); sweets and confections such as cookies, ice cream, chocolate cake and baked goods (39%); beer and wine (22%); liquor (14%); and seltzer (7%).

Related:Dairy delivers big sales as increased home cooking and baking continue

“The big question on everyone's minds is: Which of these newly formed behaviors will stick? Looking back at history, we see numerous examples of behaviors changing post-crisis. After the excesses of the Roaring Twenties and the poverty of the Depression, for instance, many people became extremely cautious about money. Some went as far as to save money in their mattresses — behavior that lasted for decades,” according to Linda Dupree, CEO of NCSolutions. “We expect Americans to sustain their higher interest in CPG products and activities that foster self-care and well-being — both physical and emotional — for some time.”

Indeed, consumers reported putting a high priority on maintaining their physical health. Of those polled, 47% said they focus on eating healthy foods to take care of themselves during the pandemic, 38% exercise regularly, and 55% take vitamins and supplements.

Meanwhile, dinner and a movie “out” has shifted to dinner and a show “in,” NCSolutions noted. Forty-two percent of consumers said they enjoy more meals and beverages at home, signaling a convergence of home cooking and entertainment. Respondents also indicated that better self-care has entailed ways to lift their spirits, with 42% visiting the grocery store to get out of the house and “feel normal,” and 22% splurging on special treats.

NCSolutions COVID One Year Study-health & wellness.jpg

A sharper focus on cleaning, too, is driving more health and wellness awareness, the study showed. Ninety-six percent of those surveyed said they spend the same (55%) or more time (41%) cleaning now than pre-pandemic, while 89% spent the same (54%) or more (35%) on products for cleaning and disinfecting their homes since the pandemic started. Nearly a third of consumers (32%) report that they don’t expect to return to their pre-pandemic rates of cleaning. 

According to NCSolutions consumer purchase data, spending on cleaning products climbed 36% year over year from March 2020 through February 2021, more than in any other grocery category.

Sizing up the post-pandemic period, 56% of Americans don’t expect the crisis to subside until 2022 or later, whereas 80% express optimism about the post-pandemic environment with the availability of COVID-19 vaccines. In terms post-pandemic behavior, 41% of consumers say they plan to drive to destinations away from home, 38% plan to have outdoor social gatherings and 34% plan to eat out more at restaurants. Just 30% said they plan to visit public venues.

“Pandemic pantries, home-centric entertainment, cleaning mania, fixation on health and wellness, and an increase in spending on groceries, this is the American sensibility today,” commented Lance Brothers, chief revenue officer at NCSolutions. “These consumer spending and sentiment insights are indicators for CPG advertisers about the market’s evolution. As spring and summer approach, Americans view the pandemic with a light at the end of the tunnel. They will continue to adapt to the next market phase, making it an ideal time for CPG brands to increase their presence in-market to elevate their market share.”

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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