While 80% of shoppers use lists, 74% still make a combination of planned and unplanned purchases, according to the NPD Group’s Bites of Insights: The New Grocery Shopper. Shoppers are more likely to add items to their lists when they fall under specific circumstances, while certain promotions can be used to attract customers looking for purchases beyond what they’d planned.
When making their lists consumers most often look for items they need to restock in their pantries, items they want more of to keep from running item, ingredients needed for a specific recipe, products they have a coupon for and items that are on sale. Women are more likely than men to have a list focusing on restocking, recipes and coupons they already have.
Once a shopper deviates from their plans, a different set of factors makes them more likely to make a purchase. Consumers most often gravitate towards items that are on sale, followed by items they remember they need after seeing them. They are also more likely to buy items that look good, that they received an in-store coupon for or that they tried as part of an in-store sample.