From Grocery Shopping to Meal Component Shopping: How Technology Is Rewriting a Century of Food Retail

 

For more than 110 years, American grocery shopping has evolved in step with consumer lifestyles—and today, technology is accelerating that evolution faster than any era before it. From the first self-service grocery store in 1916 (Piggly Wiggly) to the rise of UPC barcodes in 1974 and the online grocery boom that began in the early 2000s, each shift has brought consumers one step closer to speed, convenience, and personalization.

Now, the biggest transformation in decades is underway: grocery shopping is becoming “meal component shopping”, according to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. Technology—especially AI—is pushing consumers to shop not for categories, but for ready-to-assemble components that fit their lifestyles, budgets, and cooking comfort levels.

AI: The Newest Link in the Food Retail Chain

A new survey from Qlik reveals the speed of this cultural shift.

·       58% of Gen Z and 56% of Millennials plan to use AI tools like ChatGPT or Copilot to plan, prep, or cook Thanksgiving meals this year—more than any other generation.

·       Over 50% of all respondents believe AI can help them save money on groceries.

·       Nearly 1 in 5 expect to save $50 or more this holiday season.

·       28% believe AI can cut their prep time by up to an hour.

That is not a novelty trend—that is restructuring how America shops, cooks, and decides what to buy.

As Mike Capone, CEO of Qlik, put it: “Americans are showing us exactly where AI fits into their lives—it’s the helper, not the host.”

Consumers agree:

·       31% said they rely on AI more than family members to build shopping lists.

·       26% will even use AI to generate trivia or conversation starters for the holiday table.

Technology is no longer just in the shopping cart; it is shaping how the meal itself comes together.

From Weekly Stock-Ups to Meal Component Missions

Historically, grocery shopping followed a predictable cycle:

·       1950s–1970s: Pantry stock-up trips dominated.

·       1980s–1990s: Superstores and EDLP pricing helped families stretch budgets.

·       2000s: Loyalty cards and data.

·       2010s: Meal kits, grab-and-go, and foodservice at retail.

By the mid-2010s, 62% of consumers reported mixing grocery store foodservice with traditional grocery items in the same trip. By 2023, that number exceeded 70%.

This trend gave birth to what the Grocerant Guru® has documented for more than a decade:

Consumers no longer shop for groceries—they shop for meal components.

Meal component shopping includes:

·       Ready-to-heat proteins

·       Chef-crafted sides

·       Prepped vegetables

·       Sauces, dips, and finishing touches

·       Rotisserie chicken (still the #1 in-store foodservice driver for 25+ years)

·       Mix-and-match prepared entrees

·       AI-generated shopping lists organized by recipes

AI is accelerating this because it thinks in meals, not categories.
Ask an AI for dinner ideas, and it builds a component list: protein, veg, starch, sauce, toppings—exactly how modern shoppers think.

Why Consumers Love This Evolution

Food retail data shows the drivers of meal component shopping align perfectly with AI-assisted planning:

1. Rising Prices = Component Efficiency

With food-at-home inflation averaging 25% cumulative since 2019, shoppers use AI to maximize value, swap ingredients, and avoid waste.

2. Time Poverty

Today, 67% of Americans say they don’t have enough time to cook from scratch.
AI cuts planning time, and stores provide components to speed preparation.

3. Cooking Confidence

44% say they still rely on friends or family for cooking advice, but only 11% use traditional cookbooks.
AI fills the confidence gap with fast tutorials and tailored suggestions.

4. Personalization

Online retailers report that personalized recommendations increase basket size 15–25%.
AI meal planning enhances that effect—especially for younger shoppers.

How Retailers Are Responding

Forward-thinking grocers now:

·       Integrate AI into apps for smart list building

·       Cross-merchandise around meals rather than categories

·       Increase space for fresh prepared foods, now a $50+ billion sector

·       Position stores as hybrid grocery-restaurant destinations

·       Use predictive analytics to reduce shrink and optimize ready-to-eat offerings

In the words of the Grocerant Guru®, “Retailers that sell meals, not just ingredients, win the loyalty battle.”

 

Four Forward-Looking Insights from the Grocerant Guru®

1. AI-Driven Meal Pathing Will Replace the Weekly Circular

By 2027, digital meal plans—complete with custom shopping lists—will be more influential than the weekly ad. Promotions will be personalized, dynamic, and tied directly to mealtime missions.

2. Meal Components Will Outgrow Traditional Center Store Categories

Consumers want solutions, not staples. Prepared proteins, value-added produce, and ready-to-heat grains will drive margin as center store declines.

3. Retail Foodservice Will Become the Primary Traffic Driver

The battle for the consumer’s dinner plate will be decided in the fresh perimeter. Grocers that act like restaurants will outperform those that behave like warehouses.

4. AI and Foodservice Will Merge Into a “Smart Meal Ecosystem”

Shoppers will plan meals through AI, pick up components from the grocery store, and assemble them at home—creating a hybrid dining model that is personalized, affordable, and frictionless.

Are you trapped doing what you have always done and doing it the same way?  Interested in learning how www.FoodserviceSolutions.us can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization?  Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit:  www.FoodserviceSolutions.us for more information.