Here's how many shoppers say they're struggling with rising grocery costs

More than two-thirds of shoppers recently surveyed said they're struggling with the cost of groceries.

In a survey by Swiftly, 68% of shoppers said because of overall inflation and rising food costs, they were struggling to pay their grocery bills.

"Affordability is a big challenge," Sean Turner, cofounder and chief technology officer of Swiftly, told USA TODAY. "Shoppers are struggling with inflation. Just to get the same amount of food or calories, they're having to actually spend more ... to get the same basket."

Additionally, nearly 80% said they trusted a local brick-and-mortar grocery store to deliver fair, personalized deals and offers over national retail giants like Amazon or Walmart.

Grocery shoppers are stretching their budgets

The percentage of shoppers who say they struggle to afford groceries has been relatively high and steady for the last four years that Swiftly has been asking shoppers, said Turner. Last year, 70% of respondents also said they were having trouble with grocery costs, he said.

Consumers typically tend to economize or spend less at the grocery store by buying cheaper products to bring the total cost down, Turner said. But consumer spending in raw dollars is staying relatively level or even increasing with inflation as consumers are "looking at ways to stretch that same dollar to get more value through things like couponing, loyalty programs and discounts, he said. More than 45% of shoppers said they spent between $100 to $500 on their weekly grocery bill.

Shoppers said they are looking for more ways to stretch their grocery budget, with 55.71% saying they shop based on discounts and promotions. Nearly 7 in 10 or 69.31% said they rely on loyalty cards and their discounts while 70.85% rely on coupons, according to the survey.

About 38% of shoppers are willing to try a new brand if it is offering a promotion or discount. A little over a third, or 33.23%, also said they were likely to switch to a generic or private label brand if the preferred brand is too expensive.

Shoppers are cutting back on other budget areas

Shoppers say they've also had to reduce their spending in other areas of their budget in order to afford groceries, the survey found, with 75.22% of respondents saying they'd cut back.

The largest number, 67.75% of respondents, said they had reduced spending on entertainment like movies, concerts and shows, followed by 45.92% who said they've postponed or canceled travel plans, 45.23% who've bought fewer new clothes and 40.31% who are eating or drinking out less. Almost a quarter, or 22.62%, said they had cut back on subscriptions or personal services, like streaming, the salon or gym memberships.

Local grocery stores earn more trust of shoppers

Turner said Swiftly did not ask survey respondents why they trust local grocery stores to offer fair and personalized deals more than national retailers. But Turner said it could be a general distrust of larger institutions or perhaps a response to larger retailers using AI-based pricing strategies.

Local grocers are also fellow community members, said David Cutler, vice president of media relations & public affairs for the National Grocers Association, which represents independent community grocers.

"Shoppers trust independent grocers because they are deeply rooted in their communities and accountable to the neighbors they serve every day, not shareholders," Cutler told USA TODAY in response to a query. "These are family-owned businesses where relationships, service, and fairness matter, especially as households work hard to stretch their grocery budget as far as possible.”

Betty Lin-Fisher is a consumer reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] or follow her on X, Facebook or Instagram @blinfisher and @blinfisher.bsky.social on Bluesky. Sign up for our free The Daily Money newsletter, which breaks down complex consumer and financial news. Subscribe here.