Author: Annette Malave, SVP/Insights, RAB
What’s for dinner?
It’s a question asked in households every day, and the answer doesn’t always come quickly. Staring inside your refrigerator or freezer doesn’t help. So maybe it’s ingredients for a favorite recipe, something ready to heat and eat or a quick stop at the supermarket because someone forgot the milk.
For grocery stores, those everyday decisions create opportunities to become more than simply the place consumers buy food. The challenge is giving shoppers enough reasons to make your store their store.
That may be getting harder. According to FMI’s 2026 U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends, American households make 2.8 grocery trips per week and visit an average of 5.4 different grocery brands each month. The average household was spending $169 per week on groceries as of February 2026.
With consumers spreading their grocery dollars among multiple stores, staying top of mind matters. Competition for those dollars may also be intensifying as consumers adjust where they spend.
Consumer Edge research found that grocers lost 37 basis points of consumer wallet share from March through August 2026 compared with the same period a year ago as gasoline accounted for a larger share of spending. The decline occurred across every income group. The shift, however, doesn’t necessarily mean higher gas spending caused consumers to spend less at grocery stores, Consumer Edge noted. It does illustrate how quickly competition for consumers’ wallets can change.
For supermarkets, that makes communicating value even more important. Value doesn’t just mean price. Convenience, fresh foods, prepared meals, quality, selection and an easier shopping experience can all give consumers reasons (and greater value) to choose one store over another.
Radio can help grocers tell that broader value story while reaching consumers who are valuable to the category. According to The Media Audit, households that spend $150 or more weekly at a supermarket spend more time with radio each day than they do with any other traditional media.
Despite the growth of online shopping, the physical supermarket remains important. FMI reports that 54% of grocery shoppers always shop in-store at their primary store and another 20% mostly shop in-store. Nearly half say personally selecting products is what they would miss most if they could no longer shop for groceries in person.
Fresh and prepared foods can be another reason to choose one store over another. McKinsey’s 2026 State of Grocery North America found that 61% of consumers buy prepared or ready-to-eat meals from grocery stores at least monthly. Convenience and saving time are the leading reasons and about one-quarter say they have purchased grocery-prepared foods instead of ordering from a restaurant. (Yes, supermarkets have become a meal destination similar to restaurants.) That gives supermarkets an opportunity to answer the “What’s for dinner?” question before a shopper even walks through the door.
Radio advertising can showcase a grocer’s prepared meals, fresh produce, meat and seafood, bakery, deli or grab-and-go options. It can provide meal inspiration, introduce a new product or promote seasonal foods. With radio’s dominance of in-car listening per Edison Research, radio is the perfect medium to remind someone on the drive home that dinner still needs to be figured out. Instead of communicating only what is on sale, grocers can give consumers reasons to make a particular store part of their routine on their journey home.
Radio may also help influence what happens once shoppers get there. Findings from a study found that 50% of consumers are more likely to consider a product they see in a grocery store if they heard about it on radio first.
That creates opportunities, not only for supermarkets, but for the brands on their shelves. Radio can introduce a product before the shopping trip, build familiarity and reinforce a message that becomes relevant when a consumer encounters that product in the aisle.
The journey is increasingly digital, too. FMI reports that 77% of grocery shoppers use digital technology before shopping, and 71% use it while they shop. More than half use retailer apps while shopping in person.
Radio and digital can work together throughout that journey. A shopper hears about a meal idea, product or promotion on the radio, checks the store’s app, downloads a coupon, adds something to a shopping list, places an order or remembers the message while walking through the store.
Local supermarkets also know the communities they serve. They know the products their customers look for, the foods and traditions that matter to them and the rhythms of the neighborhoods around their stores. Radio gives grocers an opportunity to turn that knowledge into a personal connection – building familiarity between shopping trips.
Grocery shopping may begin with a list, an empty refrigerator or a simple question about what’s for dinner. But where consumers decide to shop and what ultimately lands in the cart can be influenced long before they enter the store.
For supermarkets looking to satisfy the local appetite, radio can help make sure their store is part of the consideration.