Grocery Shopping in 2025: Foot Traffic Rises While Shoppers Move Faster

Placer.ai’s May 2025 Grocery Visitation Trends report offers valuable insight into the current state of the U.S. grocery landscape—and the data suggests strength and adaptability in the face of changing consumer behavior.

1. Consistent Year-over-Year Growth

According to the report, the grocery segment experienced “nearly uniform positive year-over-year growth” across the last 12 months. This resilience is particularly notable given the surge in meal delivery services, restaurant takeout, and pre-prepped meal kits. Despite these alternatives, traditional grocery remains a powerhouse, with foot traffic continuing to rise.

2. More Visits, Less Time Spent

One of the most eye-catching trends is that the average number of grocery store visits per customer has increased, while dwell time per visit has decreased. In other words, shoppers are visiting more frequently but spending less time in-store.

This shift underscores a growing emphasis on efficiency and convenience, reinforcing the value of grocery-anchored retail centers. Surrounding tenants—such as fast food, coffee shops, or quick-service dining—can still benefit from consistent traffic even as visit durations shrink.

3. Regional Strength in Florida, the West, and the Northeast

Geographic trends point to Florida, the West Coast, and the Northeast leading the nation in grocery visit share increases. This mirrors broader demographic trends and population shifts, particularly in Florida where chains like Publix, Walmart, and Fresh Market continue to dominate.

4. Format Segmentation: Fresh vs. Value

Placer.ai also notes a growing divide between “fresh format” and “value format” grocers. Fresh format retailers—those focused on produce, deli, and specialty goods—continue to lead in both volume and visit share. This positions brands like Publix and Sprouts Farmers Market favorably, especially among consumers prioritizing fresh offerings over bulk or discount models.

Understanding The Trends

For developers, real estate professionals, and retail strategists, the 2025 data suggests a steady and evolving grocery market. Despite time-constrained shoppers and increased competition from food delivery services, grocery-anchored centers remain vital traffic drivers—and are likely to retain this status well into 2026.

For more insights, visit Placer.ai and explore their full report.