Study: Consumers purchase more produce, low-fat dairy at supermarkets, supercenters, club stores
A study produced by USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) used household purchasing data to compute “healthy basket” scores for the foods and beverages purchased each month by a household.
Over the past 20 years, some store formats, including supercenters, dollar stores and warehouse club stores have increased their share of Americans’ spending on “at-home food”—food and beverages purchased from retail stores as opposed to away-from-home eateries. In 1994, conventional supermarkets accounted for 75.9% of at-home food sales, whereas supercenters and warehouse club stores accounted for 3%. By 2014, supermarkets’ share of at-home food sales fell to 64.9%, while supercenters’ and warehouse club stores’ share rose to 16.5%.
A study produced by USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) used household purchasing data to compute “healthy basket” scores for the foods and beverages purchased each month by a household. Scores were highest for warehouse club stores (8.3), supermarkets (8.2) and supercenters (8.0). Healthful foods recommended for increased consumption, such as dark green vegetables, whole fruits and low-fat dairy products, scooped up a larger share of total food purchases from these store formats than from other formats. Mass merchandisers followed with a score of 6.2.