How Wegmans tracks, adapts to emerging shopping trends

Changing consumer habits are reshaping the supermarket industry nationwide. At Wegmans, convenience, nutrition and increasingly adventurous palates are at the forefront.

The Rochester-based chain discussed food purchasing trends at the 2026 New York Agriculture Society Forum in January attended by hundreds of farmers and food entrepreneurs.

Wegmans calls the predictable and regular shoppers at its stores “insiders.” This group of customers wants shortcuts in cooking kits and prepared foods; they also host frequent, informal gatherings that require everything but a meal—exemplified by a large offering of charcuterie, cheese and catering options. In surveys of these shoppers, 59 percent say they enjoy cooking and 45 percent view alcohol consumption as “bad for health.”

“We may not have a lot of variety of different things in our diet, but our consumers are looking for that adventurous plate,” said Martha Hilton, vice president of produce and floral at Wegmans. She said five product categories rise to the top for the upcoming year: spicy foods, pickle juice, Asian convenience, street food and cottage cheese.

Wegmans, whch has 115 stores located throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions, is leveraging the e-commerce to learn exactly how shoppers are engaging with their cart. Sales are driven and inspired by social media.

“Today, I don’t think you can be on enough social media platforms to understand food trends,” said Hilton.

Generation Z and millennials under 50 are using platform-specific search and generative AI models, in addition to Instagram and TikTok, for food content. Generation X and boomers search Google and platforms like Facebook and Pinterest.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture survey in 2022 found that nearly 20 percent of people nationwide had bought groceries online at least once in the last 30 days. At Wegmans, digital purchases account for a growing share of overall sales.

“They make up a third of our total company sales right now; this is a huge area of focus for us,” said Cathy Gaffney, vice president of specialty cheese, deli and cheese caves.

Wegmans had exclusivity with Instacart delivery until 2024, but is now expanding its e-commerce delivery to Uber Eats and DoorDash, which drive 80 percent of its digital sales.

Surge of protein, GLP-1

Surging demand for high-protein and nutrient-rich products is another clear trend in the grocery industry.

“I think we can put cottage cheese in officially everything,” Hilton said.

The high-protein, low-calorie dairy product is shelved as an alternative to meats and legumes. The demand for protein and nutrient-rich foods isn’t just for taste but also driven by changing health recommendations. Wegmans says the popularity of GLP-1, synthetic medications used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity by reducing appetite and curbing cravings, is spiking interest in its nutrient-rich foods.

A white paper on insurance claims data from Fair Health states that about 4 percent of adult patients, roughly 11 million people, have been prescribed GLP-1 drugs. The share of patients with an overweight or obesity diagnosis receiving a GLP-1 prescription has surged 587 percent since 2019. Analysts at Wegmans anticipate that by 2035, the number of users could reach 24 million.

“We’re really trying to keep that protein and fiber content top of mind, because that’s where the consumers are spending their dollars,” Hilton said.

She says 36 percent of GLP-1 use is for the weight-loss segment, 17 percent for diabetes and weight loss, and 41 percent for diabetes only. The KFF study four in 10 with a prescription use it solely for weight loss.

The new segment, those using GLP-1 only weight loss, is what Wegmans describes as “middle age, younger, typically high income, paying out of pocket, and more likely to go in and out of them as they evolve.”

Side effects of the insulin-inducing medicine include dehydration, digestive energy and muscle loss.

“That in turn forces consumers to look for products that support these,” Hilton said. Protein, she added, offsets that muscle loss, along with smaller portions for appetite and then fiber. It leads to less sugar, high fat, and high-calorie options.

In January, negotiations between the federal government and drug companies significantly decreased the cost of weight-loss medication—including a federal platform for the incentivized use of a historically expensive drug.

Follow the leader: media
Declining alcohol consumption is another trend seen in Wegmans stores.

“Consumers are telling us with their wallet purchases that they’re not spending as much in this space,” Hilton said.

Health consciousness, changing social norms and the rise of low- and no-alcohol alternatives are key drivers in this trend, research from Pennsylvania State University Extension shows. Instead, immune-support beverages that have energy, gut health and cognitive function benefits and electrolytes are in demand.

Changing flavor profiles are also seen in a food category that Wegman calls “Asian convenience.” Spice appeal is increasing demand for ingredients and prepared cuisine like Indian, Korean and Mexican food.

Fifty of Wegmans’ stores are located in New York, which boasts an array of traditional row crops and high-tech greenhouses that grow strawberries and vine vegetables. But it’s the next step in convenience that is growing the company’s produce department year over year: cut fruit and packaged vegetables.

Among fruits not produced in the U.S., kiwi and mango are their fastest-growing products.

“If you want to see a fruit that is trending…I hope everyone in here is eating a kiwi a day, because according to TikTok, that’s what you should be doing,” Hilton said. “That is driving our tropical sales.”

Jake Zajkowski is a contributing writer for the Rochester Beacon.

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