Thanksgiving Shopping, Cooking Trends from Acosta
With Thanksgiving approaching, market research firm Acosta Group has shared some insights from its Shopper Community. Key findings include:
- Prices remain a big concern, with 40% of shoppers seeking deals, using coupons and comparison shopping.
- A majority of hosts plan to prepare the entire Thanksgiving meal themselves, with half of shoppers anticipating $100+ spend (7 in 10 households with children will spend more than $100).
- 40% of people attending Thanksgiving as a guest will bring a side dish or dessert, typically spending between $25-50 on their contribution.
- 43% of Millennials and Gen Z will attend a Friendsgiving.
- Despite the fact that most Thanksgiving meals are homemade, 45% of all shoppers would consider just buying the whole thing.
Favorite side dishes (regionally):
- 70% in the Midwest will have pumpkin pie.
- 63% in the Northeast will enjoy sweet potatoes.
- 44% in the South will have mac and cheese.
- 26% in the West will include brussels sprouts.
About the Author
Dave Fusaro
Editor in Chief
Dave Fusaro has served as editor in chief of Food Processing magazine since 2003. Dave has 30 years experience in food & beverage industry journalism and has won several national ASBPE writing awards for his Food Processing stories. Dave has been interviewed on CNN, quoted in national newspapers and he authored a 200-page market research report on the milk industry. Formerly an award-winning newspaper reporter who specialized in business writing, he holds a BA in journalism from Marquette University. Prior to joining Food Processing, Dave was Editor-In-Chief of Dairy Foods and was Managing Editor of Prepared Foods.