The Modern Value Equation

The Modern Value Equation: How Shoppers Balance Price, Trust, Time, and Trade-Offs

Grocery shoppers do a lot of math.

No, not numerical math, necessarily (brands and retailers are increasingly trying to reduce the literal amount of math consumers have to do), but they perform a series of complex calculations in their heads regarding:

  • Price
  • Convenience
  • Time
  • Risk
  • Trust
  • Freshness
  • Perceived value
  • Trade-offs

And more. Does a delivery fee buy back enough hours in their day? Will the basket they bring home be affordable but also feel like a smart choice?

This equation is what retailers and brands need to understand on a deeper level than they ever have before. Winning on value doesn’t mean offering the lowest price anymore; it means grasping what shoppers are trying to protect when budget, time, and trust are all under pressure.

That’s not to say shoppers don’t notice deals. They still need fairness and take the time to compare their options, but the brands and retailers that win their loyalty will be the ones that make the entire choice feel safer, smarter, easier, and overall worth it.

McCormick & Company, one of the world’s most prominent spice, seasoning, flavoring, and condiments manufacturers, wanted to understand how grocery shoppers think when they’re standing at the shelf. They needed profound consumer insights into the internal negotiation every purchase becomes, so they partnered with Knit, the AI-Native Research Agency, to obtain them.

What's inside this report:

We surveyed 537 qualified grocery decision-makers across generations, income levels, and household compositions (including 102 AI-moderated qualitative video interviews) to understand how modern grocery shoppers define value and navigate what they’re willing to compromise on. Some of our key findings include:

  • ‍74% of respondents said everyday low prices are a part of their value bundle — but only 36% said it’s the single most important factor.
  • Pantry staples is the category where consumers were most willing to trade down (45%), but respondents were most loyal to specific family and alcoholic brands (8% each).
  • In our collected AI-moderated video responses, the strongest recurring theme was perception of how far money goes (58% of participants). It’s not just about discounts, but matching spend to priorities and fairness.
  • Many shoppers were willing to drive to a second store to save $25 to $30 on groceries. Many were also willing to pay a delivery fee to avoid a 45-minute round trip.
  • When grocery budgets tighten, shoppers don’t simply trade down across their entire baskets. Instead, most commonly, they cook at home more (54%).

Originally conducted for IIEX North America 2026, Knit and McCormick have made this research publicly available to provide key takeaways for CPG brand leaders, retailers, private label teams, shopper and category teams, and pantry and meal-solution brands. Download our report to dive into the modern consumer’s value equation and how you can position yourself best within it.

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