Survey: Brick-and-mortar grocery shoppers prefer Walmart

One area where Walmart is far ahead of Amazon is its popularity as a brick-and-mortar destination for grocery purchases.

According to results of the Inmar Intelligence Price Inflation Survey, a leading 27% of 1,000 surveyed U.S. adults said they primarily shop in-store for groceries at Walmart. The Kroger portfolio of grocery stores followed closely behind at 22%, with the Albertson’s portfolio coming in a distant third at 9%. Only 3% of respondents cited Amazon-owned Whole Foods, which also lagged behind chains including Aldi (8%) and Target (7%).

When respondents were asked where they primarily shopped in-store for groceries before the COVID-19 pandemic, Walmart was still top choice with a 27% response rate. However, a slightly higher 25% favored the Kroger portfolio pre-pandemic. Grocers including Albertson’s portfolio (8%), Target (6%) and Aldi (5%) all gained some market share at Kroger’s expense, while Whole Foods (4%) slipped a little. 

Besides price, other top reasons respondents would change where they regularly shop groceries and everyday household items include:

•    Location 40%
•    Amount of incentives offered 24%
•    Inventory 17%
•    Loyalty program 15%
•    Other 4%

The survey uncovered a number of additional interesting findings, including:

•    90% of respondents have noticed an increase in prices of groceries and everyday household items they regularly purchase.
•    87% buy store brand products to save money.
•    68% have begun shopping at a different store for groceries and everyday household items due to increased prices.
•    52% say these are challenging times and rising prices are a reflection of challenges we all face.
•    41% feel retailers and brands should find solutions to prevent rising prices for consumers.
•    62% have joined more than one grocery loyalty program due to rising prices
•    83% actively look to save money like planning meals with cheaper or fewer ingredients.
•    22% belong to a wholesale club to save money, and 52% are considering joining one due to rising prices.