FMI, the Food Industry Association, with research by The Hartman Group, has released the 2022 U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends report—the first in a six-part series. The first analysis focuses on the shopper landscape and finds Americans are balancing a mix of concerns, including their health and safety as it relates to COVID-19, higher food prices and out of stocks.

The report finds that as of mid-February, 48% of shoppers report being extremely or very concerned with COVID-19, which is the lowest level of concern measured since the pandemic began but down only slightly from October 2021. 

At the same time, more than half of Americans cite their worries about rising food prices, and 45% are concerned about out-of-stocks. Consumers report their weekly grocery spending has gone up by 4% compared to early last year and the majority (72%) of those who have noted increased spending point to rising prices on specific items or brands as the cause of the increase.