From Smartphones to AI: How Shoppers Use Technology to Feed Their Families

FMI’s January Grocery Shoppers Snapshot measured shopper sentiment about the use of technology when grocery shopping for their families.  

By: Steve Markenson, Vice President, Research & Insights, FMI 

Technology of various types and forms is omnipresent in our lives today. At FMI, we spend a lot of time surveying and talking with shoppers about how they approach grocery shopping. We find shoppers are quick to employ the latest technologies in myriad ways to buy food for their families. It would behoove food retailers to understand not only the adoption of these technologies but also the depth and breadth of ways shoppers are using these technology tools available to them.  

These findings are derived from our first Grocery Shopper Snapshot of 2026, conducted from January 2 to 6 among 1,518 grocery shoppers regarding a number of issues related to their grocery shopping.  

Smartphones Are Ubiquitous 

A tool that is in the hands of almost every shopper (98%) who walks the aisles of the grocery store is the smartphone. While this technology tool is most often used to find deals via digital coupons and to check weekly specials at their primary store, smartphones are also often used to compare prices across stores. The uses go beyond just those to include: 

• Communication: Calling or texting someone 
• Recipes: Look up recipes 
• Navigation: Use the in-store item locator 
• Reviews: Read reviews about products or brands 
• Information: Look up information about products or scan QR codes to learn more about nutritional values 

Shoppers Leverage AI-enabled Tools for Many Uses 

AI (Artificial Intelligence) use is not as ubiquitous as smartphones, but discussion of it was at the FMI Midwinter Executive Conference this month. Awareness among grocery shoppers of AI-enabled information tools such as ChatGPT has increased in the past year to 68% having used AI, with 26% of shoppers now regular AI users.  

• Shoppers use AI tools for a wide array of needs, including recipes, seeking the best prices or promotions, ingredient or nutrition facts, meal or menu planning, grocery shopping lists, diet or nutrition advice, party food or display ideas, and more.  
• Over half of all shoppers (53%) have used AI tools for at least one of the food-related needs outlined above. 

Among those shoppers using AI, only 18% always verify AI-generated information. Meanwhile, 35% rarely or never verify the information AI provides them.  Younger shoppers (Gen Z and Millennials) are more likely to verify AI-generated information sometimes or always than older shoppers (Gen X and Boomers).   

What Roles Can a Personal Digital Assistant Play?  

The vast majority of shoppers (84%) can identify at least one way they would put a personal digital assistant to work for them.  

• The greatest interest in personalized digital shopping assistants lies in helping shoppers save money—whether through coupons, price comparisons, alerts on price drops, or substitutes that are more affordable.  
• Some other ways that a personal digital assistant could help are by notifications of food recalls, recipes or meal suggestions based on ingredients available, creating shopping lists based on meal plans, and recommending healthier substitute products. 

What is the next technology to help our shoppers feed their families? FMI will continue to monitor grocery shopper and technology trends throughout 2026. So, stay tuned for more Shopper Snapshots. Our annual comprehensive U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends report is scheduled for release in May, when we will explore “bricks, clicks, and the evolving mix.” 

Grocery Shopper Snapshot: January 2026