Between lifestyle and price sensitivity

Cologne, June 18, 2026
 

Nutrition is increasingly becoming a balancing act between health-consciousness, practicality for everyday life, price awareness and individual lifestyles. At the same time, consumers today navigate a food market characterised by conflicting dietary trends, growing product diversity and, consequently, increasing complexity in consumer decision-making. 

Food shopping remains a frequent part of everyday life – consumers shop in physical stores an average of 4.49 times a week. However, it remains primarily functional in nature. 86.5 per cent of respondents rate good accessibility or proximity as important or very important when choosing where to shop. 85.9 per cent cite good value for money as a decisive factor. 72.9 per cent of consumers frequently or very frequently compare the prices of different food products. Supermarkets and discounters remain the main shopping destinations in everyday German life. 77.5 per cent of respondents visit supermarkets frequently or very frequently, whilst 77 per cent visit discounters. Despite growing discussions around sustainability and health, practical convenience, price-consciousness and availability remain the dominant drivers of shopping behaviour.

Whilst an omnivorous diet remains the social norm at 58 per cent, flexitarian, vegetarian and vegan diets in particular are gaining ground amongst younger and urban target groups. Significantly more diverse dietary and shopping profiles are evident, particularly in cities. Plant-based milk alternatives, meat substitutes and functional food products – such as those enriched with vitamins – are purchased noticeably more frequently in these areas than in rural areas. Alternative dietary groups often have distinct shopping routines. They also make greater use of organic shops, specialist shops, markets or chemists. 

The study also reveals a rather pragmatic consumer reality when it comes to digital shopping and communication services. Discount and voucher promotions in apps are clearly gaining in importance. 68.6 per cent of respondents use them. However, traditional physical leaflets remain highly relevant, at 52.5 per cent. Online grocery shopping continues to focus on specific target groups, particularly younger and urban customers. Social media posts, AI recommendations and specialised online offerings have so far played only a minor role in actual grocery shopping.

A key finding of the study is the clear discrepancy between public attention and actual shopping behaviour. Whilst public debates often focus heavily on sustainability, dietary trends or digital innovations, everyday consumption decisions remain predominantly shaped by routine, price considerations, availability and practicality.

“The study shows very clearly that, whilst nutrition and food shopping are increasingly linked to health, identity and individual lifestyles today, actual everyday consumption remains strongly organised along pragmatic lines,” explains Dr Tobias Röding. “Our findings confirm once again this year the general trend that many consumers prioritise functional factors such as price, accessibility, availability and ease of integration into everyday life, whilst environmental sustainability often takes a back seat in actual shopping behaviour.”

For the retail sector, industry and consumer communications, this means that food trends and digital innovations should in future be aligned more closely with real-life everyday situations and usage contexts. The Consumer Barometer 2026 provides a data-driven basis for understanding current consumer realities in greater detail and for better contextualising societal food trends.