Convenience is key when it comes to consumer purchases in the grocery aisle.
When it comes to shopping for food to make at home, there are a number of factors that weigh on consumers’ choices in the grocery aisle. Among these factors, convenience stands out as a key decision driver.
A recent report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which used data collected between 1998 and 2010, has revealed that, while demand for the six basic food groups is largely price driven, foods that saved households time in meal preparation account for the majority of a household food budget. In fact, the least convenient food items, such as basic ingredients, constitute for less than a quarter of the average household food budget.
According to the report from the USDA, between 1999 and 2010, food items that offered greater convenience than basic meal ingredients, such as ready-to-eat meals, accounted for 26% of the average household food budget.
Furthermore, the most convenient foods, such as those purchased at fast-food and sit-down restaurants, constituted for approximately half of the total food budget, with the average share of the food budget spent on fast-food meals and snacks being around 27%, and the average share of the budget spent on sit-down meals around 23%.