Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB
If you find yourself browsing weekly supermarket circulars to find out which of your favorite brands are on sale, you aren’t alone. Consumers are working hard to fight the inflation battle at the registers.
According to the Consumer Price Index, food at home prices rose nearly 2% in January 2025 versus 2024. Consumers are most definitely feeling the pinch.
While many consumers are aware of inflationary costs, broadcast radio listeners appear to be more attuned to what is happening at the register. Eighty percent of radio listeners have noticed price increases at the supermarket compared to nonlisteners. This is just one of the insights from a recently released report by Provoke Insights, a full-service market research firm.
During these times, broadcast radio listeners become thriftier. They are much more budget conscious than nonlisteners, 61% versus 58% respectively, per survey results. Despite this, they remain brand loyal and will purchase the food brands they know versus store brand grocery products. Nonlisteners are buying store brands at a higher rate than radio listeners, per Provoke Insights. This is an opportunity for food brands to reach and connect with their loyal consumers.
Although radio listeners are thrifty, their buying occasions are more frequent than nonlisteners. Thirty percent of radio listeners will shop two to three times per week and 40% will shop once per week – higher than their nonlistening cohorts at 29% and 41%, respectively.
Radio listeners tend to shop at various retailers and enjoy organic brands. Broadcast radio listeners will shop at supermarkets, big-box retailers, discount grocery stores, local farmer’s markets and specialty food stores. They are in-store shoppers. This is an advertising opportunity for any food retailer to promote sales and product variety, especially organic products. Radio listeners believe that organic products are of better quality and taste. Concerns about antibiotics, hormones and GMOs are additional reasons these radio consumers buy organic.
Provoke Insights suggests that radio stations should partner with grocery retailers to highlight weekly specials, discount programs and exclusive deals. Stations can create “Price Watch” segments that keep listeners informed about price drops and savings opportunities at their local stores. Also, leveraging popular radio personalities to share money-saving grocery tips can enhance engagement and trust.
Food retailers should take advantage of these insights and use radio as part of the advertising strategy. Radio’s ability to reach adults who spent $150 or more in the past week on groceries (per Nielsen), is one sure way for these retailers to feed their sales revenue.
RAB members can view the entire Provoke Insights Grocery Trends report and other categories here.