New data points to mounting affordability pressure on grocery consumers, with ongoing high food inflation and rising use of buy now, pay later programs among the key indicators. The numbers paint a picture of shoppers who are actively managing grocery budgets in ways they weren't before.
This matters for the produce industry because fresh categories are often where consumers cut first when budgets tighten — even as some recent data suggests shoppers still see fresh as worth paying for. The tension between perceived value and financial strain is a real dynamic that category managers and salespeople need to understand right now.
Watch for how this consumer stress affects promotional response rates and trade-down behavior across fresh departments heading into the second half of the year.