1、2023 Facing up to food insecurityA guide to changing consumer behavior for F&B brands and retailersIntroductionThe data in this report comes from a nationally-representative survey of 2,000 working age US consumers,conducted on the Attest platform during July 2023.View the survey.SampleInflation is

2、cooling now at its lowest rate since March 2021,according to the Consumer Price Index yet US consumers are still struggling to put a meal on the table.Food prices remain stubbornly high,and our latest data shows nearly 60%of Americans are currently experiencing some level of difficulty affording foo

3、d.Its a stark statistic,which means F&B brands and retailers cannot rely on falling inflation alone to right the market.Its likely that the outlook will remain challenging for months to come,with the possibility that austerity eating behaviors will become embedded.This report aims to provide a snaps

4、hot of consumer behavior during this period of relative food insecurity.Youll gain insight into peoples grocery shopping habits,and learn how theyre eating both inside and outside of the home alongside tips to help you make the most of the trends.Jeremy King CEO&Founder,AttestPart 1:Shopping for foo

5、dWho is struggling to afford food?Less than half the population(40.5%)state they can comfortably afford food,with the remaining 59.5%struggling to varying degrees.Gen X are most likely to face food insecurity,with 12.4%having a lot of difficulty affording groceries and 52.6%having some or fluctuatin

6、g difficulty.On the other hand,Boomers are the most comfortable:47.4%have no difficulty affording food.Difficulty affording food is most acute in the South(63.1%)and least in the West(53.2%).Carry out regional research to localize your strategy.Difficulty affording food TipNo difficulty40.5%Some/flu

7、ctuating difficulty50.4%A lot of difficulty9.1%One big weekly shopWhatever your income bracket,once a week is the most popular shopping frequency.However,those who say they have no difficulty affording food over-index for shopping more frequently:50.7%shop multiple times weekly versus 40.0%of less w

8、ell off consumers.Meanwhile,those with the most difficulty affording food are 3x as likely to shop less often than once a week.Millennials have the highest shopping frequency:21.4%shop for groceries at least four times a week,making this demographic the best to target with in-store promotions.TipGro

9、cery shopping frequency Daily6.2%4-5 times per week8.8%2-3 times per week29.3%Once a week40.8%Less frequently than once a week14.9%Affluent consumers arent as loyalYou might expect consumers who are struggling to afford food to shop around more than those who are better off.In fact,the reverse is tr

10、ue:29.4%of people experiencing difficulty are loyal to one supermarket,versus 23.4%of comfortable consumers although both groups are most likely to shop at 2-3 different supermarkets.Well-off shoppers over-index for visiting multiple supermarkets in order to get specific products,while the main moti

11、vator for others is to get deals and use coupons.TipNumber of supermarkets used Loyal to one supermarket2-3supermarkets4 or moresupermarkets27.1%67.4%5.5%Independent retailers less accessible on a lower incomeShopping at independent butchers,produce stores,bakeries and farmers markets is less common

12、 among consumers who are struggling than those who are not.For example,43.9%of affluent consumers shop at farmers markets versus 28.7%of the least well off.Age is also a factor,with Millennials significantly more engaged with independent retailers than Boomers.Theres an opportunity for independents

13、to cast their nets wider by communicating on value and quality.TipUse of independent grocery retailers Farmers market40.2%Produce stores24.0%Bakery18.7%Butchers14.9%Farm Store12.9%None34.3%Part 2:Eating at homeRich and poor equally likely to cookIts a myth that those on a lower income arent cooking

14、for their families.Around a third of those struggling to afford food say they cook from scratch most days the same as the more affluent consumers.Looking at the data as a whole,a further 30.4%cook 3-5 times a week.This means 64.3%of Americans are regularly eating home-cooked meals,while the remainin

15、g 35.7%are largely reliant on pre-prepared food.Gen Z are the biggest consumers of pre-prepared food:it makes up the staple diet for 41.0%.Frequency of cooking from scratchTipMost days3-5 times a weekOnce or twice a weekA few times a monthOnce or twice a monthLess frequently33.9%3.8%5.9%9.1%17.0%30.

16、4%Consumers have both time and willingness to cookAnother misconception is that were all too busy to cook or simply dont want to.Only 14.6%of consumers say they dont like cooking and 23.3%dont have much time to do it.Regardless of age or income,most people have time to cook and enjoy doing it.Millen

17、nials are most enthusiastic,with 47.8%saying they love cooking,while Boomers have the most time(37.2%have lots of time to cook).Gen Z claims to be the most pressed for time(29.6%struggle to find time to cook)highlighting an opportunity for brands to help with meal prep.TipTime available for cookingL

18、ots of time21.8%A reasonable amount of time54.9%Not much time20.4%No time2.9%Affluent consumers more conscious about nutrition Despite their equal propensity to cook,the data does indicate a dietary difference between those who are having difficulty affording food and those who are not.The less well

19、 off are less discriminating about the food they buy:46.3%always or often check nutritional values on products versus 55.3%of affluent consumers,while 46.0%check the ingredients list(versus 53.1%).The poorest consumers are 2x as likely to say they never check.Millennials are the most conscious demog

20、raphic more than a quarter state they always look at nutritional information.TipLooking at nutritional valuesAlwaysOftenSomewhat oftenNot very oftenNever21.4%28.3%25.7%18.0%6.5%Cookbooks are virtually deadJust 11%of consumers turn to a cookbook when looking for meal inspiration even Boomers are more

21、 likely to go online.While recipe sites remain most popular among all demographics,social media is growing as a source of inspiration.Nearly 32%of Gen Z would head there if they were looking for recipe ideas.Video tutorials on platforms like TikTok are a key way to show younger consumers how your pr

22、oducts can be used in recipes.TipSources of recipe inspiration35.9%Recipe sites/appsSocial mediaFriends or familyCookbooks28.7%21.3%11.0%Even the affluent lack cooking appliancesBeing able to comfortably afford food doesnt necessarily mean you have the means to whip up fancy meals.Ever-shrinking apa

23、rtments often lack the space for fully equipped kitchens.The data shows that 24.2%of affluent consumers dont have a full-size oven,and 27.7%dont have a freezer.The most commonly owned cooking appliance among all US households is the microwave(85.3%).Air fryers are increasingly common in US homes:57.

24、9%of consumers now own one,so creating air fryer-friendly recipes is an easy win.TipOwnership of kitchen appliances66.2%64.4%57.9%54.6%17.9%17.4%Coffee machineBlenderAir fryerSlow cookerDeep fat fryerSteamerPart 3:Restaurants and takeoutsDining out is out of reach for struggling consumersAffluent co

25、nsumers are most likely to say they eat at a restaurant or cafe once or twice a week(30.3%)but those who are struggling to afford food are mostly likely to eat out less than once a month(28.2%).And among the least well off consumers,this figure rises to 41.9%.Eating out is far more habitual for youn

26、ger consumers:Gen Z are 2x as likely as Boomers to do it regularly(45.7%versus 22.5%).Men over-index for dining out regularly(44.8%versus 30.6%)suggesting that gender-targeted marketing could be effective.Frequency of eating at a restaurant or cafeTip Most days 3.9%3-5 times a week 9.1%Once or twice

27、 a week 24.5%A few times a month 21.9%Once or twice a month 17.8%Less frequently 22.8%Takeout food is more accessible While restaurants might be an occasional treat,takeout food is enjoyed more frequently.Consumers facing difficulty affording food are most likely to say they get takeout once or twic

28、e a week(28.7%)but a further 14.1%do it more often.Meanwhile,consumers who have no difficulty affording food get takeouts even more frequently:55.8%say they get one at least once a week.The biggest consumers of takeout food are Millennials and Gen Z:around 20%eat it more than twice a week.Men have a

29、 bigger appetite for fast food:21.0%get a takeout in excess of twice a week,in comparison to only 11.9%of women.TipFrequency of getting takeout food4.9%11.4%31.6%22.4%15.5%14.2%Most days3-5 times a weekOnce or twice a weekA few times a monthOnce or twice a monthLess frequentlyFood delivery apps a fi

30、rm favorite with Gen ZWhile older Americans still prefer to order takeout food in-person,younger consumers like to do it digitally.Gen Z are most likely to order via food delivery apps(38.7%),while Millennials show equal preference for food delivery apps and restaurants own websites(both around 27%)

31、.Among those consumers who favor ordering via food delivery apps,Doordash is the most popular:55%use it.This is followed by Uber Eats(29%),and far behind Grubhub(just 5%).Only 11%of Gen Z prefer to call to place an order.Bear this in mind when youre promoting takeout services to different age groups

32、.TipMethod of ordering a takeoutIn-person at the restaurant 32.8%Food delivery app23.8%Restaurants website/app23.2%Call the restaurant19.3%In conclusionDifficulty affording food means consumers shop for groceries less frequently,shop at a smaller variety of stores and eat out less often.This means b

33、rands have less access to consumers than when times are good.However,there is a strong appetite for cooking and consumers are increasingly mobilized by access to online recipes and appliances like air fryers(even among the most hard up,53.3%own one).Brands can seize this opportunity by engaging with

34、 consumers to help them create low cost meals.Now is not the time to cut back on marketing brands need to stay even more visible elsewhere when consumers arent coming into the store as often.But they can also flex to the trend with things like bulk buy offers and longer shelf-life products.Need to understand how changing shopping behavior will impact your category?Get the insights you need