Grocery shopping in 2025, same weekly habit, new pressure

Grocery shopping is still a core routine, even as price pressure reshapes what goes in the cart. In a national survey of 500 U.S. adults, Americans report shopping frequently, planning trips, and noticing cost increases across nearly every aisle. The big takeaway is simple: people are not skipping grocery trips. They are adjusting how they shop, what they buy, and where they trade down.

Who does the grocery shopping

Grocery shopping is concentrated in one person in most households.

• 65.0% say only me is responsible for grocery shopping
• 28.8% say it is shared between me and someone else
• 6.2% say someone else is responsible

Planning is high, impulse is higher

Most shoppers go in with a plan, but most still deviate.

• 36.4% make a detailed list and do not deviate
• 50.6% make a list but also pick up items not on the list
• 13.0% do no preparation and just shop

How often Americans shop for groceries

Grocery shopping remains a high frequency routine for most Americans.

• 9.2% shop daily
• 32.4% shop multiple times a week
• 37.8% shop once a week
• 15.0% shop twice a month
• 5.6% shop once a month

Frequency is shifting, and the reasons tell the story

• 36.0% shop more frequently in recent months
• 22.6% shop less frequently
• 41.4% shop the same amount

When asked why frequency is changing, shoppers most often point to practical constraints:

• 20% shop more now because grocery items do not last long or go bad fast
• 19% shop more now because they buy only what they need during each run
• 15% shop less now because products cost more
• 27% say they shop the same amount and nothing has changed

What Americans spend per grocery trip

Spending varies widely, but the most common trip lands in the middle.

• 9.0% spend 0 to 50 dollars
• 25.6% spend 51 to 100 dollars
• 20.0% spend 101 to 150 dollars
• 14.4% spend 151 to 200 dollars
• 12.6% spend 201 to 250 dollars
• 7.4% spend 251 to 300 dollars
• 2.6% spend 301 to 350 dollars
• 5.0% spend 351 to 400 dollars
• 3.0% spend 401 to 500 dollars
• 0.4% spend 501 dollars or more

Spending trends, what is driving the higher total

• 45% say they spend more now because products cost more
• 14% say they spend more now because they buy more products than needed in the moment
• 12% say they spend more now because they want to be prepared for an emergency
• 14% say they spend less now because they are cutting back expenses

The economics of weekly grocery shopping

The study uses the U.S. Federal Reserve estimate of 131.4 million U.S. households. With 37.8% of respondents shopping once per week, that maps to an estimated 49.7 million households shopping once per week for groceries.

For once per week shoppers, the study estimates a minimum total grocery spend of 6,200,793,252 dollars per week, totaling 322,441,249,104 dollars per year. These figures do not include the 42% of Americans who shop more than once per week.

What is changing in the cart, category level behavior

For every major aisle, 50% or more of Americans say they buy about the same as a few months ago. The movement that does exist is revealing.

• Prepared foods: 55% same, 26% more, 18% less
• Breakfast: 63% same, 21% more, 16% less
• Bread and bakery: 61% same, 9% more, 30% less
• Dry foods and condiments: 61% same, 11% more, 29% less
• Meat and seafood: 53% same, 19% more, 28% less
• Dairy and eggs: 63% same, 12% more, 25% less
• Fresh produce: 68% same, 10% more, 22% less
• Frozen foods: 57% same, 15% more, 28% less
• Household products: 74% same, 15% more, 11% less
• Snacks and baking: 57% same, 14% more, 28% less
• Beverages: 56% same, 16% more, 27% less

Where Americans feel prices increased the most

Price increases show up across nearly every aisle, but the sharpest signals appear in meat and fresh produce.

• Meat and seafood: 74% say cost is more, 18% say cost is the same, 2% say cost is less
• Fresh produce: 65% say cost is more, 24% say cost is the same, 3% say cost is less
• Bread and bakery: 63% say cost is more, 29% say cost is the same, 2% say cost is less
• Dairy and eggs: 62% say cost is more, 26% say cost is the same, 3% say cost is less
• Household products: 62% say cost is more, 30% say cost is the same, 3% say cost is less
• Beverages: 53% say cost is more, 36% say cost is the same, 3% say cost is less

Price psychology, ideal prices and how shoppers respond

Across most aisles, shoppers want items priced around 2 to 4 dollars. The exceptions are meat and seafood at 8 to 10 dollars, and frozen foods, prepared foods, and household products at 4 to 6 dollars.

When prices rise beyond what people want to pay, the most common response is not quitting the category. It is continuing to buy, adjusting brand or quality, or buying less.

• Household products: ideal 4 to 6 dollars, 52% continue to spend, 35% adjust brand or quality, 10% buy less, 1% stop buying
• Beverages: ideal 2 to 4 dollars, 50% continue to spend, 25% adjust, 19% buy less, 4% stop
• Fresh produce: ideal 2 to 4 dollars, 48% continue to spend, 21% adjust, 26% buy less, 3% stop
• Dairy and eggs: ideal 2 to 4 dollars, 37% continue to spend, 28% adjust, 29% buy less, 5% stop
• Meat and seafood: ideal 8 to 10 dollars, 34% continue to spend, 30% adjust, 31% buy less, 3% stop
• Prepared foods: ideal 4 to 6 dollars, 43% continue to spend, 32% adjust, 16% buy less, 7% stop

Deep dive, meat and seafood

For most meat and seafood items, 50% or more say they buy about the same as before. But there are clear pockets of change.

• Chicken and turkey: 62% same, 22% more, 16% less
• Fish: 53% same, 23% more, 24% less
• Lamb: 37% same, 23% more, 40% less
• Beef: 58% same, 14% more, 28% less

Price increases are nearly universal in this category. 80% say beef costs more. 76% say chicken and turkey cost more. 73% say seafood costs more.

Deep dive, produce

Most produce items are steady, but many fruits and vegetables show higher buy less signals.

• Pineapple: 58% same, 6% more, 36% less
• Melons: 59% same, 9% more, 32% less
• Grapes: 59% same, 12% more, 29% less
• Berries: 56% same, 17% more, 27% less

Price increases are widespread here too. 70% say berries cost more. 70% say leaf vegetables cost more. 70% say mushrooms cost more. Grapes stand out with 10% saying they would stop buying if prices rise beyond what they want to spend.

Deep dive, dairy and eggs

Dairy is relatively steady, but eggs and cream products show strong buy less signals.

• Eggs: 51% same, 10% more, 38% less
• Heavy cream: 38% same, 22% more, 40% less
• Half and half: 54% same, 13% more, 33% less

Egg prices are the loudest price signal in the entire study. 85% say egg costs are more, and only 9% say they are the same.

Deep dive, beverages

Beverage purchasing is relatively stable, but several items show meaningful cutbacks.

• Mixed flavor fruit juice: 49% same, 16% more, 35% less
• Fresh fruit juice: 54% same, 11% more, 34% less
• Protein shakes and powder: 50% same, 17% more, 33% less
• Powdered drinks: 45% same, 24% more, 30% less

Water remains the most resilient. 60% say they will continue to spend on water even if price increases beyond what they want.