Food and beverage stores
Total Sector Spending
Overall spending trends across an industry sector
What's the story behind the data?
The food and beverage sector demonstrates high-frequency, low-margin transactional behavior dominated by staple purchases. Facteus data reveals a pronounced April spike, likely driven by seasonal promotions and holiday gatherings, followed by steady moderation. Boomers drive the largest share of wallet by generation, while all income brackets show slightly negative contribution—suggesting food inflation is suppressing discretionary spend even in this essential category.
Brand performance is consolidated: Walmart commands the lion’s share of market activity, while players like H-E-B and Stop & Shop lead in average order value. Compared with recent 10-K filings from Kroger and Walmart, Facteus data shows a modest AOV gap versus internal revenue-per-transaction trends, reinforcing the alignment between card-level behavior and reported basket sizes.
Implications by Audience
FP&A / Strategy Teams
- Plan for predictable April lift tied to seasonal food demand. Promotions around Easter and spring holidays contribute to uplift visible in Facteus data.
- Prioritize regional player analysis: H-E-B shows stronger AOV performance despite low market share nationally—suggesting regional premium behavior that could warrant format or footprint expansion.
- Recognize that inflationary pressures may be muting spend growth across income levels. Internal grocer pricing strategies should be reviewed in tandem with loyalty behavior.
Marketing and Brand Teams
- Boomers represent the most valuable segment by share of wallet—strategies should lean into familiarity, loyalty rewards, and value messaging.
- While Gen Z and Millennials under-index in share, opportunities exist in new product categories (e.g., ready-to-eat, functional beverages) that align with younger preferences.
- Competing on AOV is less viable than driving frequency—category messaging should emphasize replenishment triggers, smart basket building, and convenience over upsell
Investors
- A defensible, inflation-sensitive category—Facteus data shows modest elasticity, even during seasonal promotions.
- Consolidation continues: Walmart dominates market share, with limited movement among other players. This matches trends seen in Kroger and Albertsons consolidation activity.
- AOV stability across brands signals consistent consumer intent and minimal basket fragmentation—supporting a steady margin outlook across major retailers.
Top Brands by Market Share
Leading brands ranked by market share within sector
Trends + Insights
- Total Sector Spending
April drives the largest monthly spike—consistent with seasonal promotions and Easter-related gatherings. Facteus data shows sharp April growth followed by slower gains in May and slight pullback in June.
- Sector Spending by Income
All income brackets reflect slight declines in wallet share, underscoring how food inflation likely suppresses discretionary expansion in this category. Even high-income households show negative skew, aligning with broader CPI grocery trends.
- Sector Spending by Generation
Boomers lead all generations in share of wallet, contributing over 7%—far outpacing Millennials and Gen Z. This cohort may exhibit stronger loyalty to grocery formats and value-focused purchasing.
- Top Brands by Market Share
Walmart maintains over 60% market share—a dominant position reflecting scale and price leadership. Other players like Kroger and Publix hold minor share positions, largely stable across the year.
- Top Brands by AOV
H-E-B and Stop & Shop lead AOV rankings, maintaining average ticket sizes near or above $50. This contrasts with lower-ticket players like Aldi and Publix, indicating more frequent, smaller-basket trips for those brands.
Top Brands by AOV
Leading brands ranked by average order value within sector
This macro sector analysis provides detailed insights into economic trends and consumer behavior patterns. The visualizations below are derived from real-world transaction data and economic indicators.
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Sector Spending by Income Bracket
Industry sector spending patterns by household income level
Sector Spending by Generation
Industry sector spending patterns by generational cohort
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