The state of grocery in North America

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The McKinsey Consumer Loyalty Survey from December 2021 featured a sample of 10,000 respondents who weighed in on their expectations of brands and priorities moving forward. The main barriers to online shopping are consumer preferences for personal contact in stores and expensive delivery charges, though consumers are less concerned about these issues today than they were in 2020 (Exhibit 5). Consumers also prefer home delivery when grocery shopping online, marking a change from the preference for click and collect in 2020. The grocery ecosystem has begun to change dramatically as new partnerships and entrants have challenged the status quo.

Consumers were initially drawn to online grocery out of necessity, but as they have become more familiar with these channels, their preferences have shifted toward e-commerce.5McKinsey Consumer Pulse Survey, February–March 2023. Companies beyond those known for their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) policies—such as Ben & Jerry’s, FedEx, and LEGO—are increasingly making more decisions based on social and environmental issues compared with 2020. In our survey, grocery CEOs largely expect consumers in 2022 to place a greater emphasis on sustainability across all dimensions (for example, packaging and supply chain) and make different choices because of it. Financial ratios are an important tool that managers and investors use to evaluate company performance.

  • This is an annually updated list with the most relevant financial ratios for retail businesses.
  • Check out the Retail Business Performance Analysis Course, for a detailed process of analyzing the financial performance of a retail business.
  • The main barriers to online shopping are consumer preferences for personal contact in stores and expensive delivery charges, though consumers are less concerned about these issues today than they were in 2020 (Exhibit 5).
  • They include stronger private-brand offerings and promotions, an elevated omnichannel experience, broader business diversification, the integration of generative AI, and sustainability as a driver of top- and bottom-line results.

Meanwhile, McKinsey analysis shows that warehouse clubs have also gained market share at the expense of traditional grocers and supermarkets. Partner with tech companies to modernize operations and enhance capabilities. For instance, microfulfillment center technology players such as Swisslog and Takeoff Technologies are collaborating with grocers Ahold Delhaize and H-E-B, respectively. Google and Microsoft are also forging partnerships with grocers to introduce AI in replenishment and commerce (for example, implementing online tools to enable consumers to build grocery shopping lists). The average grocery store business spent 68% of annual revenue on material costs.

We’ve put together a curriculum, specifically designed for retail owners or retail professionals who want to advance into senior management roles. Measures how often, at present rate of sales, your entire inventory is completely sold and replaced during a given year. Compares what the company “owes” creditors to what it “owns.” Measures the financial strength of the business.

Grocery Stores – Compensation and Salary Surveys

From 2018 to 2022, EBITDA margins for grocery retailers and CPG companies decreased 0.4 and 1.5 percentage points, respectively (Exhibit 3). Our research and analysis identified five trends that hold the key to thriving in 2023 and beyond (see sidebar, “About the research”). They include stronger private-brand offerings and promotions, an elevated omnichannel experience, broader business diversification, the integration of generative AI, and sustainability as a driver of top- and bottom-line results. Grocery retailers that integrate these insights could be better positioned to meet consumers where they are and provide offerings that deepen loyalty—all while keeping pace with an ever-changing industry.

  • In July 2023, the State of Grocery Consumer Survey explored the changing attitudes and preferences of more than 2,000 US respondents.
  • But in addition to the advantages of online shopping, consumers cited several obstacles, including high delivery fees and a preference for personal contact with products in store.
  • Grocers will need to keep pace with changing trends to remain competitive in the long run.
  • Last year, we noted the potential of automation and AI for the retail industry.
  • The bankers will look at these industry benchmarks as they assess your store’s performance.
  • Grocers are redefining their business models to capitalize on fulfillment opportunities and adapting their value propositions.

For example, some are using mobile product scanning to get product information. In addition, scan-and-go commerce is changing the way shoppers interact with grocers both in stores and on apps. The emergence of this younger, value-conscious, and healthier eater in 2022 creates opportunities for grocers to tailor their value-priced private-label products to include healthier offerings.

This is an annually updated list with the most relevant financial ratios for retail businesses. You can use it as a benchmark for your own retail business performance by looking at the most relevant segment/store type to your business. The average sole proprietor grocery instructions for the  requester of form w store spent roughly 4% of annual revenue on rent. The rapid migration of consumers to e-commerce channels during the pandemic has plateaued. In May 2023, e-commerce stood at 7.2 percent of all grocery spending, more than 35 percent above prepandemic levels (Exhibit 2).

About 85 percent of retailers reported experimenting with new technologies to improve the customer experience, and 35 percent of suppliers are using AI to better harness customer data.16The food retailing industry speaks 2023, FMI, 2023. The beneficiaries of this purchasing behavior have been private-brand goods and warehouse club channels. Private brands’ share of growth in grocery categories jumped by double-digit percentage points from 2021 to 2023.

Average rent expense for a Grocery Store

Since 2019, the market has grown at an impressive 15 percent,1Total grocery sales across traditional grocery, supercenters, mass market, drug stores, convenience stores, clubs, discounters, and online channels inclusive of drug spending; Kantar LLC, Copyright 2022. Significant shifts in share of stomach, supply and labor shortages, unprecedented investments in e-commerce, and rising inflation created widespread disruption for grocers. Private-brand products are attractive because they typically have higher margins than branded products.

Core Benefits to Customer:

Beyond Instacart, Shipt is expanding its engagements with grocers, while DoorDash has partnerships with Smart & Final, Meijer, Fresh Thyme, and Albertsons, among others. Check out the Retail Business Performance Analysis Course, for a detailed process of analyzing the financial performance of a retail business. Indicates percentage of sales dollars remaining after all costs (except taxes) are recognized. Indicates percentage of sales dollars remaining after costs related to purchasing merchandise are recognized.

Grocery benchmarks report

Consumers are balancing their emphasis on value with an interest in healthier foods. About 40 percent of consumers expect to increase their focus on healthy eating and nutrition. Consumers intend to purchase more regional and local goods (41 percent), high-protein options (34 percent), and offerings that are free from certain ingredients (33 percent), along with other naturally healthy options (Exhibit 3).

Meanwhile, the food-at-home market, which had been slowly losing share to food away from home before 2020, has surged 8.7 percent, four times its historical growth rate. The move to food at home coincides with a growing emphasis on healthier eating. We have analyzed the financial statements of different publicly traded U.S retail companies across different retail segments & store types.

The average annual revenue for all sole proprietorship grocery store businesses in the U.S. was just $289,628. There are roughly 87,000 grocery store businesses in the US organized as sole proprietorships. We specifically analyzed 86,955 companies based on the 2019 IRS tax return data. If you are creating projections for your startup business, or you just want to see how your existing business stacks up to industry averages, you can take your income statement and compare key ratios and percentages for your business compared to this industry average data.

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