By Nathalie Voit
After nearly a year of hunkering down due to concerns over the coronavirus, the way Americans shop and eat is starting to resemble normal pre-pandemic trends.
According to a poll published Aug. 24 by Gallup, everyday activities like in-person grocery shopping and dining out are making a comeback following a pandemic-induced drop in demand.
Compared to 2021, the share of Americans who shop for groceries in-store more than once a week is up six points to 37% this year. That puts the share of consumers visiting grocery stores multiple times a week precisely at pre-pandemic levels. In 2019, 37% of Gallup’s Consumption Habits survey participants also reported frequent in-person grocery shopping.
Consumers also reported dining out more since last year in the survey. Eighty-three percent of U.S. adults said they dine out monthly or more in the latest poll, up from 74% in 2021. Forty-seven percent do so weekly, compared with just 26% last year.
In contrast, 87% of Americans reported dining out at least once a month in 2019.
Other routines Americans picked up during the COVID-19 pandemic appear here to stay.
A record 28% of Americans reported ordering groceries online for home delivery or pickup at least once a month in the Gallup poll. That’s up from 23% in 2021 and just 11% in 2019.
Ordering takeout from restaurants also remains popular, with 72% of U.S. adults doing so at least once a month compared to 74% last year.
