Loyalty to any produce brand goes out the window when budgets are tight.

Kroger Co.’s retail data science, insights and media company, 84.51°, introduced a new whitepaper focused on "Winning with the Omnichannel Shopper in the Face of Disruption."

The research found that inflationary pressures are driving customers to make choices about what goes in their baskets.

This uncertainty has omnichannel shoppers changing their behaviors both online and in stores as they look to stretch their constrained budgets. Understanding these shifts is necessary to meet shoppers where they are today.

“Rising prices at the grocery store remain a top concern for most customers and have encouraged them to find ways to combat inflation to stretch their dollars further,” 84.51° collaborative insights consultant Kelli Fulton said in the release.

Fulton said that 70% of grocery shoppers are looking for sales, deals and coupons more often, and more than 50% of shoppers are cutting back on items — overall and on each trip.

They’re also “openly” switching to cheaper brands, she said. These shifting behaviors put significant pressure on brand loyalty.

When customers are disproportionately driven by price, they are increasingly willing to skip products that are considered a “nice to have” versus a “must have” and switch to competitor's that may deliver a similar benefit at a cheaper price. 

Omnichannel shoppers are also looking for a seamless shopping experience, which means that they expect the same experience across their online and in-store shopping.

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