IGA Recipes Help Inflation-Weary Shoppers

It’s no secret that inflation has been driving up costs at the grocery store for the past two years, but did you know inflation has been increasing at a much higher rate in grocery stores than in restaurants?

Experts speculate a number of factors to be the cause of the shift, from ongoing grocery supply issues to restaurants resisting price increases in an effort to build back the customer base they lost during the pandemic. But finally there is good news for grocery: since March, grocery prices have been slowly but surely coming down, while restaurant prices have been rising. Even better news, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Consumer Price Index for April shows the gap between grocery prices and restaurant prices has widened, with prices favoring home cooking once again.

Despite the grocery CPI falling, inflation is still a huge problem for shoppers — and the grocers that serve them.

"In previous economic downturns, a single economic driver like housing caused the majority of pain for consumers," IGA CEO John Ross says. "In the current environment, what we're seeing is unique in that multiple pain points are converging at once. The cost of housing, fuel, medical care, and food are all higher than than they were in 2019. The rate of inflation for food at home may be slowing — and restaurant prices may be rising — but the cost of groceries is still a sticker shock for shoppers."

And that, says Ross, creates a huge opportunity for retailers to provide shoppers with the meal solutions they need, while at the same time reminding shoppers that eating at home is easier on their wallets.

Recipe Solutions from IGA

IGA.com/recipes has hundreds of recipes and shopper blogs to choose from, all designed to make meal planning faster, easier, and less expensive for time-stressed shoppers. And with 83% of Americans viewing food and recipe content on social media platforms, and 62% viewing content weekly or more often, it’s clear to see how valuable the content can be for independent retailers.

“The chains have been filling their websites and social media platforms with recipes for years, but that’s not something a smaller independent can easily do,” IGA Senior Manager, Shopper Content Megan Drazer said. “We wanted to take the work and expense out of the process for our retailers, so we’ve worked with bloggers, influencers, recipe writers, and Red Oval partners to create this huge bank of recipes. It’s effectively a recipe easy button for any member of the Alliance to use.”

IGA makes it easy to share the content on social media with one click, and load straight to your website if you’re using an IGA-supported template through Webstop or Freshop.

Even if you’re not using an IGA-supported website platform, IGA’s content is still available for you to use. Simply fill out this online form and Drazer will contact you to talk through next steps.

Of course in today’s busy world, we need to connect with shoppers in every way possible, which in this case means also sending our recipes direct to consumers. Through IGA’s Recipe club, shoppers can sign up online to receive a bi-weekly newsletter featuring the most recently published and relevant recipes and shopper solutions that have been handpicked to coordinate with the current national digital ad offers whenever possible.

Budget Friendly Recipes

Looking for content to help shoppers make the most of their budget? From few ingredient, high yield recipes to homemade versions of dining-out favorites, take your pick from these and many others, all designed to help shoppers stretch their dollar.

In addition to these online recipes, retailers can order in-store recipe signage through IGA’s Quarterly Marketing Kit that compares popular restaurant meals to the make-at-home version. QR codes link to the make-at-home recipe, and the price and calorie count comparison shows just how much shoppers are saving by shopping in your store and preparing the recipe at home.

 
Restaurant comparison signage in the Quarterly Marketing Kit. 

While the budget-friendly recipes are clearly important for inflation-weary shoppers, Drazer notes the recipe and content bank is designed to meet all needs.

“We’re looking to inspire shoppers across the board, so we have recipes and blogs for every occasion and every dietary need,” Drazer says. “That includes healthy and indulgent recipes for everything from holiday feasts to quick and easy weeknight meals and snacks — and they’re all sorted with tags to make finding what you’re looking for as simple as possible.”

Have questions about IGA’s bank of recipes or the Recipe Club newsletter? Contact IGA’s Megan Drazer by filling out the form below.