Foods Shoppers Keep Eyes Peeled for Deals

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Discount stores and other alternative formats are luring consumers away from traditional supermarkets, as the hunt for lower prices and concerns over the economy slightly edged out demand for convenience, according to a new 2004 study due to be published on Sunday.

"Clearly the same issues that plagued consumers in 2002 -- unemployment, problems with business ethics, ongoing concerns about terrorism, war with Iraq and rising fuel costs -- continued to give them pause in 2003 and going into 2004," the survey, conducted by the Washington-based Food Marketing Institute, said.

Budget-conscious behavior may account for a slight decline in the weekly grocery bill per household, which edged down slightly to $90 early this year from $92 a year before after adjusting for inflation, the study, "Trends in the United States: Consumer Attitudes & the Supermarket, 2004," said.

Discount shopping continued to grow, with one in five shoppers naming Wal-Mart, Costco or another discounter as their primary source for groceries. The number of consumers who regularly shop at these stores for food has risen slightly but steadily since 2000, with discounters making the greatest inroads in the South and the Midwest.

"Rising oil prices and increased unemployment ... are likely to continue to restrain consumer spending," said the study, to be released on Sunday at the start of FMI's annual convention in Chicago.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=domesticNews&storyID=5007517

Whichever type of meat is on sale is the one going in my basket. Except fish, which is unfortnate, but I don't know how to cook anything with it.