SHOPPING TRIPS TAKE A DIP

When consumers rushed to stores during the Extreme Buying phase of COVID-19, the number of U.S. household grocery shopping trips peaked, as did CPG spend, at levels 35% higher than pre-COVID-19 purchasing.

During this Extreme Buying stage consumers stocked up on paper goods and household cleaning products at unprecedented levels. For the first time, items such as toilet paper and shelf-stable soap were ranked among the top 20 purchased items in the week ending March 14, 2020.

As time progressed and states mandated “social distancing” during the Home-Confined Buying period, consumers began to limit their trips to stores. Average household grocery spend dropped by 9% from March 22-28 compared to the prior Extreme Buying period, though spend still remained elevated by 23% compared to pre-COVID levels.