Nothing beats the warm, fuzzy feeling gained from giving the perfect gift to a loved one around the holidays. Finding the perfect gift, however, is far from easy. As holiday shoppers begin their gift hunt this fall, their store choices are varied, ranging from department stores and outlets to specialty stores and online merchants. Increasingly, consumers are discovering another format for procuring their coveted symbols of love and affection that offers both convenience and variety in one—supermarkets.
Supermarkets are gaining traction among holiday gift shoppers year over year. Deloitte’s annual holiday retail forecast projects that one in four consumers plan to shop their local grocery store for gifts this holiday season. Of the 4,410 consumers polled, Deloitte’s 2019 Holiday Retail Survey of Consumers projects a 3% increase in grocery store gift shoppers from 2018 and a 14% increase from five years ago. Furthermore, 43% of consumers plan to purchase food and beverage for themselves during the holiday season, outperforming clothing (39%) and shoes (28%).
Ahead of supermarkets, online retailers were cited by 64% of respondents as the preferred holiday shopping format; mass merchants, traditional department stores, off-price stores, and bookstores rounded out the top five (with supermarkets ranking as the sixth most popular format among the 15 options listed). According to foodinstitute.com, “The gifting of food and liquor for the holiday season is rising, and as the trend continues, there is also a 10% increase in the supermarket/grocery store format.”
Gift buying in supermarkets isn’t limited to just food and beverage. According to the National Retail Federation’s (NRF) 2016 annual consumer spending survey, gift cards tend to perform well due to their allure at checkout and ability to inspire last-minute impulse buys. Of those surveyed, 61% of consumers said they sought out gift-cards during the holiday season. Holiday promotions add fuel to the gift buying fire as well. “87% of consumers could be convinced to spend an extra $25 this holiday season if tempted by a good sale or promotion, the perfect gift for themselves or others or free shipping,” reports NRF.
As we approach the peak of the holiday season, supermarkets look to be well positioned thanks to a growing consumer base that’s interested in pairing their holiday grocery shopping with their holiday gift shopping. Shoppers, start your engines!