A new survey from Cashew Research suggests Millennials in Canada and the United States are changing how they shop for groceries as food prices rise, relying on more calculated purchasing habits rather than simply reducing spending.
The Calgary-based research company said that its survey of 783 Millennial shoppers found consumers are increasingly cooking at home, tracking discounts and using multiple shopping tools to manage household costs.
Cashew said 68 per cent of Millennial respondents are cooking at home more often than they were a year ago, with 56 per cent of those saying saving money is the main reason for the change.
The company said the findings point to broader shifts in household decision-making as consumers respond to inflationary pressures through more planned shopping behaviour.
“This is a generation under pressure that has moved quickly into solutions mode,” said Addy Graves, chief executive of Cashew.
“They are feeling the impact, but they are also actively reworking how they shop to stay in control.”
According to the report, Millennials are increasingly combining strategies such as couponing, loyalty programs, sale tracking and advance planning across multiple stores in an effort to stretch grocery budgets.
Cashew said the survey also found 59 per cent of respondents are deliberately choosing where to spend more and where to cut back within their grocery purchases.
The company described those decisions as intentional trade-offs rather than broad reductions in spending.
At the same time, social media continues to influence buying decisions among younger consumers, the report said.
Cashew found 78 per cent of respondents reported purchasing a food item specifically because they saw it on social media.
The company said the findings show Millennial shoppers are balancing cost management with interest in new products and trends.
“What looks complex is, in fact, highly strategic,” the release said.
“In true millennial fashion, these decisions are highly considered – shaped by research, comparison and the desire to get it right – even when it slows the path to purchase.”
Cashew said the report, titled Data Drop: Grocery Chess: How Millennials Mastered Shopping, is available free of charge.
The company said it provides consumer insights through an AI-powered research platform that gathers custom survey responses intended to help brands better understand consumer decision-making.
More from Retail Insider:
