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U.S. Consumers Drive Walmart’s Grocery Penetration to Record 72% as Financial Insecurity Climbs, dunnhumby Finds

businesswire.com
WMT Walmart's grocery penetration reached a record 72%, showing the largest year-over-year growth among all retailers. This indicates strong consumer preference driven by affordability concerns, positioning Walmart favorably amidst rising financial insecurity. DG Dollar General is gaining significant traction, with its penetration rising 4-6 percentage points year-over-year. This growth, coupled with the overall surge in dollar store penetration, suggests increasing consumer reliance on these retailers for affordability.

CINCINNATI--( BUSINESS WIRE)--U.S. consumers have driven Walmart’s grocery penetration to a record 72% as financial insecurity among Americans ages 18–54 climbs to 70%, according to Wave 12 of the dunnhumby Consumer Trends Tracker (CTT) released today. Walmart serves over 190 million Americans monthly—2.5 times the reach of second-place Dollar General at 28.6%. Walmart’s penetration rose 6 percentage points (pp) year over year, marking the largest growth in penetration among all retailers.

U.S. consumers perceive food inflation to be 19.6%, more than eight times the actual rate of 2.4% in December 2025. Households with incomes under $50,000 perceive inflation at 23.6%, nearly 10 times the actual rate.

The quarterly study found that mass-channel retailers have equaled traditional supermarkets at 79% penetration for the first time, marking a fundamental shift in American shopping behavior driven by persistent affordability pressures. Since CTT’s debut in April 2022, mass-channel penetration has increased five percentage points, representing a shift of millions of consumers changing shopping patterns. Dollar stores have surged to 42% penetration, overtaking club stores for the first time since August 2023, with Dollar General, Dollar Tree, and Family Dollar each gaining 4–6 percentage points year over year.

“We are seeing that U.S. households are realigning where they shop based on affordability,” said Matt O’Grady, President of the Americas for dunnhumby. “What makes this different from the 2023 inflation spike is that consumer concern persists even as actual inflation moderates. The consumer is just not feeling it. Where they shop, how they use coupons, even how they adopt AI—everything aligns to saving money. When financial insecurity becomes this entrenched, grocery affordability becomes paramount, and shopping behavior doesn’t just snap back.”

The surge in penetration for mass retailers and dollar stores reflects deepening financial pressure across American households. Seventy percent of working-age Americans (ages 18–54) have difficulty covering an unexpected $400 expense, with the strain most acute among lower-income households (71% for those earning under $50,000) and families with children (67%). Even middle- and upper-income Americans struggle: 48% of those earning $50,000–$100,000 and 36% earning over $100,000 report financial insecurity. Only seniors show relative stability, with 30% of Americans over 65 facing difficulty covering emergency expenses.

Key findings from the study:

Methodology

The CTT tracks where people shop and how much they spend, stated behaviors, stated importance of grocery needs, food security, inflation perceptions, and complements dunnhumby’s Retailer Preference Index which is released every January. Each CTT wave includes timely ad hoc modules on current topics. Wave 12 addressed using AI for shopping. dunnhumby interviewed 8,500 grocery shoppers across Canada, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Chile, and the U.S. for Wave 12 of the CTT. The online interviews took place in December 2025 and the previous wave took place in August 2025. The latest CTT study can be accessed here.

About dunnhumby

The science of serving every customer. Together. At scale.

dunnhumby helps businesses grow through faster, better decision making, as the essential intelligence layer connecting the world’s leading retailers and brands.

Sitting at the intersection of loyalty, media, and category management, dunnhumby, helps to navigate complex and competing priorities. Combining AI-enabled science, software, trusted advice, and 35+ years of dedicated retail experience, dunnhumby is recognized as a leader in connecting customer insight and action to build loyalty, drive performance, and deliver results that last.

With offices in locations across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, dunnhumby works brands including Tesco, Walmart Data Ventures, Coca-Cola, Meijer, Procter & Gamble, and L’Oreal, to make smarter decisions today and tomorrow.