Survey: Traditional grocery stores losing favor

New York -- Traditional retail categories are increasingly blurring, and more and more shoppers are turning to drug stores and other types of outlets to buy groceries, according to a survey of Millenial, Gen X and Baby Boomer consumers. The study was conducted by retail design firm King Retail Solutions in conjunction with the University of Arizona Center for Retailing.



Shoppers were polled on their past shopping habits, current shopping attitudes, decision-making factors and top preferred retailers (Target, Walmart, Walgreens and Costco topped the list in each category), all as relates to purchasing these types of goods from a non-traditional source (e.g., purchasing a fresh meal from a pharmacy or a hair cut from a big box store).



Among the findings: such pharmacy retailers as Walgreens and CVS/pharmacy were listed among the “Top 20 favorite places to buy groceries (that aren’t grocery stores).”



Regarding the survey results, KRS executive VP Andrew Swedenborg, commented, “It can’t all be about one-stop-shop, but if it’s a retailer they appreciate, they are going to shop there and if new, non-traditional items are available for sale, they are going to buy those items. Expanding what you sell is only a part of the equation; delivering a valuable shopping experience is the real challenge.”