It’s not just higher prices driving increased grocery spend

The Ipsos Consumer Tracker asks Americans questions about culture, the economy and the forces that shape our lives. Here's one thing we learned this week.

Why we asked about grocery spending: We know people say they’re spending more. But… why? 

What we found: Just over half of people said they are spending more money on groceries than even the start of the year, when prices had already inflated. (Only 8% said they are spending less). In a follow-up question, we asked those who were spending more, why. The obvious answers are “inflation has driven up prices everywhere I shop,” and “prices have increased the most on day-to-day essentials,” both picked as among the top three reasons by roughly 75% of folks. But coming in (a distant) third is a slightly less obvious reason: That despite the prices of groceries, it’s still cheaper than going out, so we’re cooking at home more (25%). Also on the list: Being offered fewer promotions and sales (19%) and a fairly strong perception (22% said it was one of the top 3 reasons) that stores are price gouging. Only one in ten said they were spending more because they were getting groceries delivered more often and even fewer (6%) said it was because they were trading up to higher-quality food.

More insights from this wave of the Ipsos Consumer Tracker:

It’s already holiday shopping time for the early birds

We think we know about sweeteners, but do we?

The Ipsos Care-o-Meter: What does America know about vs. what does America care about?