As grocery shoppers nationwide start to fill shopping carts in anticipation of America’s annual Thanksgiving Day feast, Catalina Marketing has taken a deep dive into its unrivaled shopper behavior database to identify those categories poised for huge sales spikes in the days leading up to the holiday.
In analyzing actual purchases made in the week leading up to Thanksgiving 2018, Catalina determined the two highest-selling grocery categories nationwide are Canned Cranberries (up 1,600%) and Stuffing Mixes (up 1,500%) vs. an average week.
Catalina was also able to identify holiday meal preferences by region around the country. For example, in the Northeast and Midwest, people are more likely to enjoy “traditional” Thanksgiving fare, with frozen poultry purchases up 315%. Compare that to the Western U.S., where frozen poultry sales declined 7% and refrigerated meat substitutes shot up 43%.
Meanwhile, desserts definitely sweeten the Thanksgiving experience, with Baking Ingredients making up 15 of the Top 20 sales spikes by category:
• Refrigerated Toppings increased by 481%
• Fruit Glazes increased by 541%
• Canned Pie Fillings increased by 715%
• Frozen Pie Shells increased by 779%
“A key advantage of having the largest shopper behavior database in the world is being able to identify buying trends that can help our customers–both retailers and CPG brands–make smarter, more strategic marketing decisions,” said Marta Cyhan, Catalina’s Chief Marketing Officer.
For more insights into Thanksgiving meal buying trends, visit https://bit.ly/35kIZXq.
