NPD: Most shoppers can now find the groceries they want

The grocery cases and shelves that were left barren in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic are, for the most part, back to their pre-COVID status.

In the week ending May 28, 68% of U.S. grocery shoppers reported to The NPD Group that they hadn’t encountered any out-of-stocks of the foods and beverages they were shopping for during the week. But 32% of shoppers said they did experience out of stocks when they shopped for foods and beverages during the week ending May 28, according to the findings of NPD’s NET COVID-19 Pantry & Food Strategy Tracker.
 
Although consumers have moved on from the panic grocery shopping they did in the early stage of COVID-19, they still maintain the same level of foods and beverages inventory. Across all categories, there has been only a 3% drop in the estimated number of food and beverage packages on hand in homes compared to early April, reports NPD.
 
“With the majority of households still preparing all their meals and snacks in-home in May and the continuing supply chain challenges, limited or out of stock situations are inevitable,” said David Portalatin, NPD food industry advisor and author of “Eating Patterns in America.” “Considering the unprecedented situations the COVID-19 pandemic has presented over the last few months, the U.S. food supply chain has held up remarkably well.”