The U.S. grocery slowdown is becoming harder to ignore.
Shoppers are buying fewer items than a year ago, and grocery sales are declining as weakening unit sales are now outweighing rising prices. That is according to new analysis from Bain & Company using NielsenIQ grocery data shared exclusively with CNBC.
Grocery units, which refer to individual items or products sold, fell 1.8% in June from a year earlier, a sharp reversal from the 0.1% year-over-year growth recorded in June 2025. While prices continue to rise about 2% to 3% year-over-year, that inflation cushion for the industry is no longer enough to keep overall sales growing.
These grocery stores have been locking up a lot of items as well further shooting themselves in the foot because they refuse to look long term.
that’s every company. no one looks long term. it’s quarter by quarter. they all “live in the now”.
The whole locking up of items or transitioning to self check outs was an attempt to A. blame the price increases on shoplifters and B. encourage people to transition to shopping online. Neither of which worked. you could literally live in a 0 crime society and they’d still jack up the prices.
Went to buy a tent the other day and it had one of those electric alarms on it. Ive never seen anything else in that store with an alarm.
They figured you may try to stash that tent down your pants.