How COVID-19 Has Impacted Consumer Food Habits

(This article appeared in the May 18th issue of Food Manufacturing. Click here to read the full article)

Since the start of stay-at-home orders and the pandemic news frenzy, food has been a frequent, varied topic of conversation.

From the trials and tribulations of grocery store trips and delivery delays, to the ever-changing efforts of restaurants to open, to a budding nation of want-to-be bakers, thousands of brands that make up the U.S. food industry continue to face difficult marketing challenges as consumer habits dramatically change amid the stay-at-home or social distancing economy.

At Influence Central, we surveyed 630 consumers in May as part of our effort to understand the consumer mindset during COVID-19, and to provide valuable insights to brand marketers nationwide. Since the start of stay-at-home orders and the pandemic news frenzy, food has been a frequent, varied topic of conversation.

GROCERY SHOPPING, A SPEED EXERCISE IN ANXIETY
Shows such as Super Market Sweep, and Guys Grocery Games had turned grocery shopping into an Olympic-like sport with prizes, curveballs and excitement. Viewers laughed it up from the comfort of their couches, as contestants scrambled through the grocery store, coming to blows over a bag of flour, or knocking each other’s carriages aside to reach the dairy aisle first. Sadly, with COVID-19, these tongue in cheek interpretations have become a scary, new reality. In-store grocery shopping has become akin to getting out of an Escape Room, with everyone clambering to complete their mission as strategically, cost-effectively and quickly as possible.