Consumers Crave Convenience in Fresh Food: Deloitte

Fresh food continues to be in high demand — nine in 10 respondents in a new report from Deloitte said fresh food makes them happy. But an increased desire for convenience is making it imperative for food brands and retailers to deliver fresh food in a hassle-free format. 

Deloitte surveyed 100 grocery retail executives and 2,000 consumers in the U.S. to find out what customers want — and grocers are delivering — in fresh food. They found that 52% of consumers are prioritizing convenience more than they did before, with Millennials (57%) and Gen Z (61%) even more likely to have increased their value of convenience. 

Nearly a quarter (23%) of U.S. consumers are “convenience seekers” when it comes to their overall approach to food. And that applies to fresh foods, too — surveyed consumers would be willing to pay, on average, 17% more for convenient fresh food. Despite this desire for freshness, when days are hectic, two-thirds of consumers will buy more convenient foods, regardless of the health and freshness of those foods. 

Grocers also recognize the growing emphasis on convenience, with 83% identifying it as a major purchase driver and 81% agreeing that convenience has become more important to consumers. 

Other highlights from the report include: 

• Packaged fresh food adds convenience: 50% of consumers see packaged fresh food as an attractive way to add convenience. Many also believe packaging helps prevent contamination (70%), extend the shelf life compared to unpackaged fresh food (57%), and, if labels are included, better informs their purchase (61%). 
• Meal planning is a major pain point: 53% of consumers struggle with figuring out what’s for dinner, and this is even more of a pain point among younger consumers and households with children. Help with meal planning would sway many consumers, Gen Z especially, to buy from a particular grocer or brand.
• Mixed feelings about generative AI: Eight in 10 surveyed grocers are optimistic about AI’s potential financial impacts, prompting 65% to boost investments in gen AI. But consumers aren’t as enthusiastic — only 27% are interested in a gen-AI-powered assistant, only a third trust their primary grocery retailer to use the technology responsibility, and 53% don’t want grocery stores to send them AI-generated messages.

Find more insights on fresh food from Deloitte.