What to Expect From Thanksgiving Shoppers

Thanksgiving shoppers are expected to use online grocery pickup in droves this year.

According to new insights from The Kroger Co.’s data science and media arm 84.51°, retailers should expect the following key behaviors shaping the holiday grocery shopping experience:

• Shopping: Kroger is anticipating a significant increase in shoppers planning to use pickup and Kroger Delivery compared to the 2020 holiday season. Overall, 68% of shoppers will be making the trip in-store.
• Smaller gatherings: 85% of shoppers are looking forward to a traditional Thanksgiving meal cooked at their home or someone else’s, with 74% of people keeping gatherings the same size or smaller than last year, meaning less shopping needs. 
• Trading up: This year, Kroger is expecting to see more trading up within turkey. This looks like purchasing varying turkey sizes, additional meal options such as Cook-In-Bag or Bone-In Breast turkey or specialty turkey items. 
• Early starts: 50% of shoppers aimed to have their plans finalized by the end of October, giving them plenty of time to secure the items they need.
• Alternative options: Yes, turkey reigns supreme. However, beef roasts and hams are also continuing to gain traction.

“Our goal for this Thanksgiving is to provide every customer with fresh food items for the perfect holiday gathering,” said a Kroger spokesperson. “We’ve kept a close ear to the ground when it comes to this year’s celebrations and found that while there’s a lot of variation in gathering size, shopping methods and meal choices, most people are still looking forward to spending quality time with their loved ones. This is what is most important to our team, and big or small, we want to ensure every gathering is filled with quality food items, which means having our stores stocked early, offering an assortment of products and creating a seamless shopping experience.” 

Serving 60 million households annually nationwide through a digital shopping experience, and almost 2,800 retail food stores under a variety of banner names, Cincinnati-based Kroger is No. 3 on The PG 100, Progressive Grocer’s 2021 list of the top food and consumables retailers in North America.