There’s a brand new research report available called Multicultural The Why? The Behind The Buy which explores habits and emerging trends among grocery shoppers. The survey specifically examines how Asian American, African American, and Hispanic shoppers are shaping grocery market trends. Five key trends emerged from this research.
1. Multicultural Grocery Shoppers Buy Healthy Food
The first thing tha the survey notes is that the ever-increasing population of multi-cultural grocery shoppers in America tends to prefer healty foods. They “recognize the link between food and their health.” Therefore, they’re increasingly likely to purchase natural and/or organic foods. People are willing to pay more money for healthier food options.
2. Convenience is Important Too, Though
Although multicultural food shoppers want healthy options, they also like convenience. They are more likely than not to purchase prepared foods and complete ready-to-eat meals from the grocery store. In fact, 76% of Hispanic shoppers surveyed said that they had done so in the past month alone. Additionally, they’re more likely to get carry-out food from a restaurant in addition to grocoery shopping.
3. Brands Matter
In comparison with total US grocery shoppers, those who identify with one of the surveyed groups are more likely to care about the brands they biuy at the grocery store. They care that:
- They choose brands that are socially responsible.
- Brands “are authentic to their ethnic heritage.”
- They can get brands about which they are passionate.
4. Multicultural Grocery Shoppers Enjoy Shopping for Food
Do you enjoy grocery shopping? According to this research, multicultural grocery shoppers are more likely to enjoy the shopping experience than their non-Hispanic white counterparts. In fact, nearly three-fourths of African American surveyed said that they enjoy shopping for food. More than 60% of Asian American and Hispanic grocery shoppers said the same.
Perhaps one reason that they enjoy it more is because they’re more likely to make a group activity out of it. And since they enjoy it more, they’re more likely to go to a variety of different stores. Whereas only 3% of U.S. grocery shoppers had gone to an “ethnic” grocery store in the past six month, nearly 1/4 of Hispanic shoppers had done so.
5. Technology Facilitates Grocery Shopping
Just because you enjoy going to the grocery store and are even happy to shop at multiple stores doesn’t mean that you don’t also appreciate the online grocery experience. While multicultural grocery shoppers may opt for in-store shopping as opposed to ordering online, they do make use of technology to facilitate their food shopping trips.
- They’re more likely than total US grocery shoppers to read a digital grocery flyer.
- They’re more likely to find recipes online using a search engine.
- Moreover, they’re more likely to use their mobile device to track their food shopping list.
Of course, many of these trends aren’t limited to the populations surveyed. People across all ethnic backgrounds increasingly participate in all of these trends. We all want better, healthier food without compromising on convenience. We all increasingly use technology when grocery shopping. And although we may have mixed feelings about the experience of shopping for groceries, many of us find that shopping with others makes the whole thing more pleasant.
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