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Meijer sheds light on COVID buying trends in first year

 


On-demand services, prompt payment, convenient dining solutions, interior design and entertainment were among the top shopping trends identified by supercentre retailer Meijer after passing the one-year mark of the COVID-pandemic. 19.

Meijer said yesterday that door-to-door delivery and pickup services have doubled in stores in the past 12 months. Another digital option has also taken root: Customers have used Shop & Scan technology from retailers in Grand Rapids, Michigan more than 100 million times to maintain social distancing and reduce time spent in the store. Accessible through the free Meijer Mobile app, Shop & Scan allows shoppers to scan product barcodes with their smartphones, keeping a running total of groceries and other merchandise added to their virtual shopping cart, and then checking out. pay for the items by scanning their phone at a self. checkout lane.

Customers also opted for quick meal choices. With the increase in wait times for take-out at restaurants, Meijer said, stores have seen a surge in take-out items, including sushi and easy meals for families to eat together at home. Roast chicken remains one of the most popular selections, with more than 500,000 sold in the past month, the retailer said. During the pandemic, customers also turned to meals prepared at local restaurants that have partnered with Meijer to make selected menu items available in certain communities.

Wholesale purchases have also increased. Instead of buying each product separately, more buyers have sourced items like potatoes, tomatoes and apples in packaged quantities, according to Meijer. Customers have also focused on boosting their immunity, for example by adding oranges, lemons, grapefruits and dietary supplements to their shopping lists.

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With closures forcing people to stay and work from home, sales of home decor products saw strong increases at Meijer.

Unsurprisingly, face masks, hand sanitizers and surface cleaners were top sellers throughout 2020 as customers scrambled to protect themselves from the virus, Meijer reported. Disposable tableware, foil, baking paper and food storage also saw a big increase in sales, fueled by a strong increase in home cooking and baking. More recently, buyers are focusing on organizing the home and adding more eco-friendly cleaning solutions to their supply closets.

Meijer operates 256 supercenters and grocery stores in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Wisconsin.

We continue to congratulate our store teams who worked diligently throughout the pandemic to find solutions that would help our customers find the products they needed while keeping their families safe, said Peter Whitsett, vice -Executive chairman of merchandising and marketing at Meijer, in a statement. It’s been a challenging year, and while it’s not over yet, we see a light at the end of the tunnel.

Buying trends also reflect lifestyle changes at home and at work triggered by pandemic shutdowns, Meijer noted. For example, when local gyms and fitness centers were forced to shut down temporarily, customers in the chains Midwest market area searched for home fitness products such as yoga mats, exercise straps, curl bars and hand weights, which the company says have become hot sellers and have seen over 300% growth in demand.

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Meijer has seen an increase in sales of home fitness products as the pandemic has raised health awareness among consumers.

Likewise, the rise of working from home has resulted in more home office purchases. Meijer said sales of thermal curtains and weighted blankets were 50% more year over year as buyers tried to cut heating bills and block out light in their home offices. Spa-themed candles have seen a 160% increase in sales since the start of the pandemic as customers seek to liven up their workspaces.

Likewise, Meijer sold over a million bed pillows in 2020, with buyers switching to white goods with antimicrobial properties and pillows to improve the comfort of working at home and performing tasks such as tracking emails and streaming TV shows. Decorative pillows were also used to liven up the backgrounds for video calls. Although working from home declines as vaccines help the country come out of the pandemic, Meijer said he expects double-digit growth in rest pillows to continue this year.

More time at home also meant more shopping to ease boredom. Meijer pointed out that as pandemic shutdowns proliferated, customers were purchasing new video game equipment and accessories, board games and puzzles to keep busy and entertained. The retailer said it sold more bikes, pools and grills than in previous years and saw a more than 60% increase in sales of rods and fishing gear, while 9 million new anglers have taken over the hobby.

As communities began to reopen, continued to find new ways to be flexible as customers reshaped their shopping habits for the warmer weather of a new year, Whitsett said.

Other trends have been revealed on the Meijer Express sites. Meijer said these convenience stores have seen their gas sales decline due to reduced travel, but at the same time have become destinations for customers looking for quick trips as closures cut hours. opening of retailers. In addition to increases in sales of late-night snacks and drinks, the 24-hour Meijer Express locations saw double-digit growth in sales of firewood and propane for backyard gatherings and travel. camping. Scratch and weekly lottery sales have also increased by over 25% at Meijer and Meijer Express stores over the past 12 months.

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