Consumer behavior saw many changes and adaptations as Covid-19 swept the U.S. in 2020. During the first few weeks of the pandemic, consumers began stocking up on groceries and other household items. For weeks many grocery stores were left with empty shelves, unable to serve consumers who hadn’t been a part of that initial wave of panic buying. Out of stocks lead to lost sales and cause shopper frustration, but with such an unforeseen increase in sales, these grocery stores were left to wait for new inventory.
During early pandemic buying, frozen food sales nearly doubled and continued at a 30% to 40% increase in the months to follow. Frozen foods have become a pandemic staple in many homes, bringing in $65.1 billion in retail sales in 2020, a 21% increase compared to a year ago.
Throughout the pandemic, consumers began to enjoy more family meals at home. Shoppers are looking for meal plans, culinary creativity, and convenient, cost-effective solutions; the frozen food aisle has now become a source for breakfast, lunch, dinner and more for many consumers. Amid the pandemic, the share of customers who consume frozen food daily or every few days rose from 35% in 2018 to 39% in 2020, and there’s no sign of this demand slowing down.
Such sudden increases in sales in one particular category pose a potential challenge to independent grocery stores regarding inventory. Retail solutions can gather inventory data in a fast and efficient manner, allowing the retailer to stay ahead of inventory needs and avoid stockouts wherever possible.
STCR doesn’t just connect stores to technology; we help grocery retailers deliver more value to their shoppers through innovation. From complete retail solutions and e-commerce to back-office management tools, automation, hardware and peripherals, STCR designs, implements, and deploys systems that save money and make customers happy.
Learn more about STCR’s retail innovations and how they can help your store meet all of your shopper’s needs.
