Letter to the Editor: Supermarket Statistic Not So Impressive

Ann Rogers, public relations manager, WD PARTNERS

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.”)