Question of the day
Monday, Jun 21, 2021 - Posted by Rich Miller
* Bloomberg
Supermarket prices are rising, and restaurants are reopening. But Americans keep stocking up on groceries.
Grocery sales accelerated in late May and early June, according to Nielsen data cited in a Morgan Stanley note. That’s despite restaurant revenue growth turning positive in April for the first time during the pandemic. Meanwhile, supermarket prices are up 15% on average versus before Covid-19. More than a third of Americans said they’re still buying more groceries in the first quarter of the year, with only 8% saying they’re purchasing less, according to a survey from researcher Jungle Scout.
The situation has confounded analysts, who expected robust grocery-store sales to diminish as the year progressed and as vaccinated Americans returned to offices, restaurants and travel. It can’t be explained by inflation, because grocers are also returning to their normal practice of discounting, which partially offsets the price hikes they’re taking elsewhere. Sales of groceries on a unit level, which exclude the effects of inflation, have held steady. […]
Two-thirds of people said they’re buying the same number of grocery items weekly as they did during the height of the pandemic, according to a survey conducted this week by market researcher CivicScience for Bloomberg News.
* The Question: Are you still buying the same amount of groceries as you were at the height of the pandemic, or have you mostly shifted back to your restaurant dining habits? Explain.
- Demoralized - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 3:11 pm:
My spending habits didn’t really change all that much as a result of the pandemic. We “ate out” as much as we always did, just in the form of curbside pick up.
- Huh? - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 3:16 pm:
Other than not buying TP and paper towels in over 10 months, grocery shopping has not changed. Dining out has been curb side pick up.
- Keyrock - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 3:16 pm:
In between. I’m no longer stocking up on canned goods, and am picking up groceries more frequently.
I went to a dinner party the other night. The hosts served more courses and more food than before the pandemic. I’m not saying the increased spending is all going to entertaining and larger portions, but . . . .
- clec dcn - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 3:18 pm:
I never eat out really. Unless someone ask me or some special occasion with friends I eat at home. I have always been the grocery shopper but I notice some food has gone up. Not horrible but I can eat a beautiful ribeye on sale for less than $8. Going out I just happen to check the menu at Logans and a 12 once ribeye is $19. That really is not bad price some places over $25. COVID has not changed by eating practices.
- TheInvisibleMan - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 3:18 pm:
I doubt I’ll ever go back to dining out at the same rate, especially after seeing the local health department doesn’t do any health code inspections any longer.
There are only two places I will eat out at locally going forward, and it is because both of them demonstrated responsible behavior during the pandemic that put the community ahead of the business. That’s going to pay off for them in the long term, even if it was a short term inconvenience for them.
I learned how to cook some wonderful dinners over the past year too, which would make dining out more often taking a step down in my quality of life.
Not to say I won’t ever eat out, but it will be limited to about 2 or 3 times a month at most. Nowhere near the double digit numbers prior to the pandemic.
- Joe Bidenopolous - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 3:23 pm:
Our restaurant nights never really vanished, they just went curbside. And they’ve stayed there. Only eaten inside once and outside a handful of times. And it’ll remain that way until the under-12 crowd is safe. Probably buying the same amount of groceries as the height of the pandemic, which is more than pre-pandemic.
- Grandson of Man - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 3:24 pm:
Just recently began shifting to fewer groceries, but did lots of restaurant during the height of the pandemic as well (deliveries and curbside). Not going back to the restaurant scene in any pre-pandemic way at this time, not with all the anti-vaxers out there and people who just don’t care. This pandemic’s ultimate irony is that the people who’ve pushed for full reopening are those who’ve made it harder to do so.
- Northsider - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 3:39 pm:
TheInvisibleMan @ 3:18: == …especially after seeing the local health department doesn’t do any health code inspections any longer. ==
What town? Because I never want to eat there.
- Dog Lover - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 3:40 pm:
We eat out less because the quality of the food and service is not up to our expectations, with a few exceptions.
- Sal - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 3:44 pm:
I love to cook, so I haven’t ever stopped, regardless of cost. However, got into habit of eating Chinese every Friday night - phone order, pick up.
- What's in a name? - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 3:45 pm:
I have decided to keep my COVID 15 and that requires both groceries and eating out.
- JDuc - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 3:58 pm:
Seems about the same. Starting to eat out more and more as time goes along ( not that we eat out all that often, 2-3 times a week). Taking the kids for ice cream now that the weather is warm. For us we have settled into the “new normal” and we are good to go.
- cermak_rd - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 4:01 pm:
I am still buying the same amount of groceries. 1. my work cafeteria is not yet open which makes packed lunches and snacks a necessity. 2 I am really only eating in at 2 local restaurants. Both took the pandemic seriously and I am happy to keep my business with them. 3. But really I learned how to make a lot of my favorite dishes during the pandemic so other than those businesses for weekly treats, the rest is eat at home.
- Wensicia - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 4:02 pm:
The past couple of months I’ve been using up my stockpile since prices have risen quite a bit at the grocery stores. I’m back to shopping for what I need weekly and looking out for sale prices.
Take out is still my preferred method of eating out.
- Stuff Happens - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 4:05 pm:
We’ve always cooked rather than eating out, but we’re still not shopping in grocery stores and opt for delivery instead.
Most stores aren’t very good with substitutions and inventory is iffy, so if I need something I tend to pick two of the same item from different brands — essentially ordering double — in the hopes that if one is out I’ll get the other.
It means that we end up with twice as much of an ingredient and I’ll have to come up with a new recipe to use it.
Sometimes availability from the grocery store makes us stock up too. Recently we could never get chicken, so I started doubling or tripling my order. When we finally got it there was 3x more than usual, but we stuck the extra in the freezer.
We’ve always had a well-stocked pantry because I don’t want to unexpectedly run out of something. But we stock up more on proteins and some frozen goods.
The problem continues to feed itself, so until stores put limits on items it’s going to continue.
- Observer - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 4:07 pm:
Same amount of groceries pre and post pandemic. Rarely ate out before and continue to eat in almost all of the time so no change here. Might be different for those who live in a city close to restaurants.
- Blue Dog - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 4:12 pm:
About the same. As a side note, while visiting my son over the weekend, I went into the local Schnucks. When what to my wondering eyes did appear? A new section for self checkout. Replaced three full service lanes.after mandating employees work their tails off during the height of the pandemic, this is what we get.
- Homebody - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 4:17 pm:
I was never really a supper time restaurant eater. Most of my restaurant spending was fast-food at lunch in the Loop (Chipotle, Roti, etc).
As long as I stay working from home, my grocery spending will remain double what it was when I was working downtown, and my restaurant spending (other than friday/saturday entertainment spending) is essentially zero.
- zatoichi - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 4:17 pm:
Groceries about the same, but deep freezer volume is down big time. Friday became Thai night(pickup). Been to three restaurants in last 4 months. That is down down from once a week pre-covid.
- Bob Meter - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 4:21 pm:
I’ve enjoyed learning to cook at home and don’t think I’ll go back to my old habits of routinely dining out. I’m feel healthier and am in better shape too.
- Mason born - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 5:02 pm:
We haven’t changed shopping habits much with 1 exception. We buy beef, and pork on the hoof from local farmers and Chicken hasn’t jumped much. My wife does like having more Toilet Paper around then she used to. We’ve gone out more lately but we also started getting takeout morsyo help restaurants through Covid.
- Annonin' - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 5:03 pm:
Haven’t had time to eat since Kassamoron dumped from the Tribbies. He did get a little free air w/BigWords and Two …., but who else can he turn too.
- Six Degrees of Separation - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 5:26 pm:
About the same time as COVID hit, my wife and I decided to try and eat healthier. That meant reducing our dining options (the “healthy” part seems to limit our good choices), although we still have a few faves. I can’t say we are buying more groceries than before, just better ones.
- Sangamo Girl - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 5:50 pm:
Not dining out yet and still working from home. It’s the working from home that drives buying a lot more groceries. No lunches out. No hot beverage and a pastry on the way in when I’m running late. No snacks in the cafeteria. It makes a big difference.
- Chicago Cynic - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 6:11 pm:
Don’t know why you’d still be hoarding. So no.
- Space Cowboy - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 6:12 pm:
Lost a bunch of weight during the height of the pandemic; gained much if it back because im eating out more again. You would think I’d have learned something….
- Asteroid of Caution - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 6:32 pm:
Late May would be when my kid came home from college and the grocery bill soared.
- yinn - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 6:45 pm:
Same amount of groceries. Difference is that being vaccinated, I’m going to get them myself and save about $40 per week in service and delivery fees and tips, which more than offsets the rising prices. We are always stocked up by long habit and this is especially true whenever a president makes us nervous.
- Amalia - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 7:26 pm:
we continued to do takeout (rather eat at home always) during the pandemic and we probably purchased more at the grocery store as we found more time to experiment.
- HangingOn - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 9:35 pm:
I’m still restocking my pantry and freezer. I realized I eat more when I’m not at work. My teen also seemed to hit some weird “must eat everything that isn’t nailed down” phase while I was off work. I’m trying to do it little by little and not all at once, but it’s extra each paycheck. Doesn’t help she stopped eating some things and decided she has to have others. I can’t seem to keep canned peas stocked anymore.
- Seats - Monday, Jun 21, 21 @ 9:45 pm:
More groceries. We have a bunch of young kids and not really comfortable taking them to indoor environments when it can be avoided.