As Americans Return to Restaurants, Grocery Stores Add Fun to the Shopping Experience
Hy-Vee has been adding nail bars, shoes, clothing, and much more to its stores.
Americans are spending more at restaurants than on groceries again, according to JLL.
The turnabout back to a normal that existed for almost five years happened in April after pandemic lockdowns stifled eating out since March of 2020.
However, Covid-19 shopping patterns are still entrenched for grocery pick-up and delivery.
JLL pointed out that with many shoppers having discovered the convenience of online grocery and found an ongoing place for it in their lives this way of buying food has reached $6.6 billion per month in August 2021 after $2 billion in August 2019.
With the return of shoppers to groceries, some chains have been active in putting fun into the experience, said JLL.
The firm pointed to Hy-Vee which has been adding nail bars, shoes, clothing, and much more to its stores and Dom’s Kitchen and Market, a smaller supermarket with an equal emphasis on prepared foods and everyday grocery items, which opened in Chicago’s fashionable Lincoln Park neighborhood in June.
Both restaurants and groceries have been coming back in Manhattan, Michael Cody, co-founder and director at retail brokerage MONA said.
Grocery, fast casual, and value concepts are leading the way in looking for spaces with smaller square footage.
“Restaurants are on fire,” Cody claimed.
In June, John Chang, senior vice president and director of research services at Marcus & Millichap, said full re-openings post-pandemic were giving restaurants a boost.
He called restaurant sales surpassing grocery sales again “a major milestone” particularly since in May grocery sales were up 13% above pre-pandemic levels.