Climate change interrupts consumers’ summer eating habits, FMI finds

27-Aug-2024 - Last updated on 27-Aug-2024 at 13:07 GMT

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Related tags FMI Inflation Extreme weather

This summer, consumers shifted their eating habits due to extreme weather, as they continue to use brand switching and deal hunting to manage grocery bills, according to an FMI - The Food Industry Association and The Hartman Group survey.

In the Return to Routine report, FMI and The Hartman Group surveyed more than 1,500 US shoppers about their behaviors and attitudes related to summer weather and eating habits and their thoughts on food price and affordability.

More than a third of shoppers (36%) said that they are eating outdoors less due to high temperatures, which is changing in-store purchased behaviors. For instance, 21% and 19% of consumers purchased more bottled water and hydration drinks than usual, respectively, the organizations found. Additionally, 22% of consumers said they were grilling less, while 13% ate more cold meals at home.

However, consumers are less concerned about how extreme weather will impact their access to food and other essentials. Only 9% of consumers were concerned about weather-related food shortages, compared to 7% concerned about non-food shortages like gas, a 7 and 1 percentage point drop from August 2023 numbers, respectively.

Consumers still struggle to afford the food they want

Also, consumers are slightly more concerned about having enough money for food, despite recent cooling inflation numbers. More than a third of consumers (39%) say they have enough money for the food they want, compared to 41% who said the same in August 2023.

Most consumers (69%) said their income has not kept up with inflation, which disproportionally impacted consumers who are older and make less than $35,000 a year. Three-quarters (75%) of both Boomers and shoppers who make less than $35,000 and 79% of Gen X said their income has not kept up with inflation.

Younger consumers and high-income earners are more likely to stay on top of food prices. Almost half of consumers (47%) who earn more than $150,000, 44% of Gen Z and 41% of millennials said their income has kept up with food inflation.

“Shoppers report that one of the few parts of their household budgets they can control is their grocery spending and that through taking advantage of deals, promotions or shopping around, they continue to find value. While we understand shoppers’ concerns about the price of food on store shelves, our US Grocery Shopper Sentiment Index shows consumers appreciate the ability to find value in their grocery shopping and continue to enjoy grocery shopping, a trend we expect to continue as food inflation cools,” Leslie Sarasin, president and CEO of FMI, shared in a press release.

Trading brands, thrifty shopping remain key for shoppers

Those concerned about food prices are seeking more deals and switching brands. Nearly half of consumers (42%) say they have some control over their grocery spending, and 40% said they have a lot of control.

More than half (55%) of consumers look for deals, and 34% of shoppers only buy products on sale, each growing 2 percentage points from August 2023. Additionally, 43% of consumers bought more store brands, and 29% of shoppers changed brands to save money, declining 1 percentage point and increasing 3 percentage points, respectively.