Under inflationary constraints, consumers turn to frozen and shelf-stable foods, as well as private label brands
Historically, the spending gap between higher- and lower-income households is more pronounced in times of high inflation. With food inflation at a 40-year high, the gap has widened again, and lower-income households are shifting their at- and away-from-home eating behaviors to stretch their food dollars. Eating more frozen and shelf-stable foods, using less expensive and private label brands, and cutting back on restaurant visits, are among the ways lower-income households are managing their food spending, reports The NPD Group, which recently merged with Information Resources, Inc. (IRI) to create a leading global technology, analytics, and data provider.
According to NPD, lower-income households under $75K eat 89% of their meals and snacks at home. These households eat more frozen foods, like frozen pot pies or breakfast sandwiches, and shelf-stable foods, like canned pasta or ramen noodles, than on average. Single-serve frozen meals are a top growing at-home food for lower-income consumers, and these households eat 100% more canned pasta than average.