<p align="center" style="text-align:center;"><em>Grocery shoppers are looking forward to the holidays, especially time with family, special meals, and gift-giving.</em><br /></p><p>By Steve Markenson, Vice President, Research & Insights, FMI</p><p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;">How are you feeling about the upcoming holidays? Our recent survey of grocery shoppers conducted at the end of September finds that most shoppers are looking forward to the holidays and are especially excited about family time,</span> <img sf-image-responsive="true" src="https://www.fmi.org/images/default-source/homepage-curation-tiles/trends-2025-cover-holidays_lg.tmb-large-350-.png?Culture=en&sfvrsn=b11ac7e8_1" height="220" style="max-width:calc(100% – 20px);height:auto;float:right;margin:10px;" title="Trends 2025 Cover Holidays_lg" width="350" alt="Thought bubbles with different holiday icons and grocery cart icons." class="-align-right" /><span style="background-color:transparent;color:inherit;font-family:inherit;font-size:inherit;text-align:inherit;text-transform:inherit;word-spacing:normal;caret-color:auto;white-space:inherit;">special meals, and gift-giving.</span></p><p>FMI’s <a href="https://www.fmi.org/our-research/research-reports/u-s-grocery-shopper-trends">U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends: Holidays</a> report queries shoppers on a number of issues related to the upcoming holiday season, including what they plan for their Thanksgiving feast. Some key takeaways include:</p><ul><li>Many shoppers say that <strong>holiday success depends on a great homemade feast</strong>, with shoppers prioritizing gifts and food in their holiday budgeting. Almost half plan to allocate the largest portion of their holiday budget to food – the one area they are least likely to cut back on.<br /></li></ul><ul><li><strong>Eighty-nine percent (89%) of shoppers are at least somewhat excited to celebrate Thanksgiving this year</strong>, looking especially forward to a fun-filled day spent with loved ones, a house filled with aromas and all of the family traditions.<br /></li></ul><ul><li>Meal preparation is a team effort with many involved. <strong>Eighty-nine percent plan to help with the cooking</strong>, but with different levels of involvement. Older grocery shoppers are more likely to be the primary or sole cook, with younger generations assisting in the process.<br /></li></ul><ul><li><strong>Two-thirds of grocery shoppers plan to have turkey</strong>, most often accompanied by mashed potatoes, stuffing, and a warm vegetable side. However, alternatives are gaining traction, with Gen X shoppers the most likely to include other vegetable and potato sides and appetizers and with younger shoppers including proteins other than turkey.<br /></li></ul><ul><li>AI tools will be a helpful addition to holiday meals this year. <strong>Shoppers most often envision using AI for inspiration</strong> – recipes, festive ideas, products to buy – but groups that are more avid users also want AI to help them execute on menu planning and managing cooking schedules. </li></ul><p>Here’s to hoping your holidays are filled with good food (traditional and new), family fun and much more.</p><p><a href="https://www.fmi.org/our-research/research-reports/u-s-grocery-shopper-trends" class="button">Download the Full Report</a></p>
[#item_full_content]
