Consumers Prioritize Cooking at Home as Food Costs Rise
TORONTO — Rising food costs have consumers tightening their grocery budgets.
A recent survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of affordable grocery app Flashfood reveals the ways U.S. shoppers will approach purchasing and managing their weekly food expenses and daily meals in the year ahead as the United States Department of Agriculture predicts prices for all food to increase 1.9% in 2025.
Findings reveal that:
- 83% of U.S. consumers report that saving money is a bigger priority in 2025 than it has been in other years.
- 81% of Americans say saving money on food is a priority for them this year.
- 89% (tied) of U.S. consumers believe cooking meals at home is not only one of best ways to save money on food, but also a healthier alternative to takeout or dining out.
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"In light of what we already know, which is that the cost of groceries is going to continue to rise, these findings offer really interesting takeaways for U.S. grocers," said Nicholas Bertram, CEO of Flashfood. "Consumers are going to focus more on cooking at home as opposed to eating out or ordering from restaurants to save money. This is an opportunity for retailers to think creatively about their tech offerings to make sure they enable the purchase of quality, nutritious and affordable food.
"The best, most community-minded grocers will turn this economic reality into a positive. Flashfood is available to make this happen for any grocer ready to get ahead of the challenge," he continued.
The online survey was conducted Dec. 17-19, 2024, among 2,089 U.S. adults ages 18 and older.
Flashfood is a mobile marketplace that connects shoppers with fresh produce, meat and other groceries at up to 50% off. By partnering with retailers across North America, Flashfood offers shoppers nutritious staples at affordable prices, reduces the amount of food going to landfills and gives retailers a path to new shoppers and greater shopper loyalty. Flashfood is a remote-first B Corp Certified company currently partnered with more than 2,300 stores across 50 store banners, 31 states in the U.S. and 10 provinces in Canada.