MINNEAPOLIS — Please pass the pie!” That’s a familiar refrain in most American households, which not only rate pie as their top dessert choice at holiday time but also rank food as the most important aspect of the holiday season, according to a new SUPERVALU Holiday Survey, conducted for the company by Harris Interactive.
SUPERVALU (NYSE: SVU), whose family of grocery stores includes Acme®, Albertsons®, Cub Foods®, Farm Fresh®, Hornbacher’s®, Jewel-Osco®, Shaw’s/Star Market™, Shop ‘n Save® and Shoppers Food & Pharmacy®, created the survey to gauge how families approach holiday meals and what their needs are during the busy season.
According to the Holiday Survey, 70 percent of Americans indicate that food brings their families the most joy during the holidays, followed by baking and decorating (both at 49 percent); gifts (48 percent); shopping (32 percent); and holiday movies (28 percent). Given their love of food, more than 40 percent of Americans also say their families will probably overeat as usual at holiday time, with 22 percent “saving room” for the main holiday meal by eating less at other meals.
“It’s clear from the survey that today’s families appreciate the simple things around the holidays and that food fulfills not only a physical need but also an emotional need to honor family traditions,” said Julie Dexter Berg, SUPERVALU’s chief marketing officer. “The survey also found that planning for the main holiday meal is a big part of the process, and during the rush of the holidays, other meals must be quick and easy. As families gear up for the holidays, our stores are focused on providing them with simple, affordable meal solutions, tasty tips and useful ideas throughout the season.”
“It’s a Wonderful Life” versus “The Nightmare Before Christmas”
When asked to describe themselves as a holiday meal host, nearly two-thirds of respondents say they are like the classic holiday family film It’s a Wonderful Life — the ultimate tradition. Another 10 percent claim they are “Martha Stewart on steroids,” and 9 percent say they resemble The Nightmare Before Christmas.
A joyous holiday season, complete with food enjoyed together, is clearly the big goal. According to the survey, however, the holidays may not be as stressful as is sometimes thought, with more than half of Americans saying their experience as a holiday meal host is only somewhat or not at all stressing.
Food rituals play a big role in holiday celebrations. Fifty-nine percent of holiday meal hosts do everything themselves when it comes to preparing the main holiday meal, and only 34 percent ask guests to bring a dish to share.
On average, 38 percent of Americans say it takes them four to six hours to prepare the holiday meal, including the time to plan the menu and shop. Twenty percent say it takes them seven to nine hours, while 11 percent say they spend 10 to 12 hours preparing for the big event. Interestingly, 18 percent of Americans plan the menu and whip up the meal in just one to three hours.
Visions of mashed potatoes dancing in their heads
Mashed potatoes are the most popular side dish with Americans’ main holiday meal, followed in rank order by stuffing, green beans, sweet potatoes, yams and carrots.
Far and away, the most popular holiday dessert among Americans is pie — named by 76 percent as their top holiday dessert choice. Cake and cookies came in a distant second and third at 19 percent and 15 percent, respectively.
Despite their love of desserts and the tendency to overindulge during the main holiday meal, nearly 75 percent of Americans say their family’s health and nutrition is somewhat or very important at holiday time. Yet when given the option to substitute healthier options for their traditional meal, nearly 65 percent of Americans plan to stick with traditional foods for their main holiday feast.
Among those who plan to change up their meal, however, 53 percent say they intend to experiment with new side dishes, followed by desserts (41 percent), the main dish (40 percent) and appetizers or hors d’oeuvres (37 percent).
The importance of food, family and tradition at holiday time runs deep among Americans. When given the chance to spend the holiday meal with any living person, overwhelmingly, respondents choose to be with their family members. One respondent summed it by noting “a celebrity presence would ruin the family feel that is important to us.”
Wished-for chefs, budget realities
Paula Deen and Rachael Ray topped the list of celebrity chefs whom Americans would like to have prepare their holiday meal, with both being named by 19 percent of respondents. Emeril Lagasse (10 percent) was next, followed by Julia Child (if she were alive, with 7 percent), and Martha Stewart, Bobby Flay and Gordon Ramsay (each with 6 percent).
Although two-thirds of Americans plan to spend about the same amount of money on their Christmas, Hanukkah or Kwanzaa meal this season, approximately 66 percent say they nonetheless are concerned about their holiday meal budget. The top five things they plan to do to reduce costs, in rank order, are look for more items on sale (48 percent); clip and use more coupons (41 percent); shop more at discount stores (24 percent); use a grocery store loyalty program (23 percent); and ask guests to bring a dish and contribute to the meal (22 percent).
Holiday traditions vary by market
To help meet its customers’ needs, the SUPERVALU Holiday Survey also took a closer look at the holiday habits of people living in markets where its stores are located, including the Baltimore and Washington, D.C., area; Boise, Idaho; Boston; Chicago; Las Vegas; Minneapolis/St. Paul; Orange County/Los Angeles; Norfolk, Va.; Philadelphia; St. Louis; and San Diego.
•“Extremely stressed” in Baltimore/Washington D.C.: The Baltimore and Washington, D.C., area had the highest percentage of respondents indicating that being the holiday meal host causes them to be “extremely stressed.” Seventeen percent would use a caterer to prepare their holiday meal to alleviate that stress — significantly higher than the national average. When asked to name their secret stuffing ingredient, respondents in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., are the most likely to use oysters.
•Back to basics in Boise: People in Boise are more likely to have small celebrations, with 61 percent of residents saying they will host two to five people, compared with 45 percent nationwide. When it comes to stuffing, Boise residents are the most likely to follow the stuffing recipe on the side of the package. And, 56 percent of Boise-area residents say their families will probably overeat as usual during the holidays, significantly higher than the national average of 42 percent.
•Potluck fashionable in Boston: When it comes to preparing the main holiday meal, Boston-area residents are the most likely to ask their guests to bring a dish to share with others (47 percent versus 34 percent nationally). Boston residents are also efficient hosts, with more than one-fourth needing only one to three hours to plan and shop for their meal. When describing themselves as a holiday meal host, 10 percent say they are like Gordon Ramsay’s Hell’s Kitchen.
•Celebrating big in Chicago: People in Chicago are more likely to have large celebrations, with 33 percent saying they will host nine to 14 people, compared with 22 percent nationwide. Price of food is more of a concern among Chicago respondents, with 36 percent citing it as an important consideration versus 28 percent nationally. When asked if they could have any living person at their holiday dinner table, Chicagoans picked their family, followed by the First Family (the Obamas).
•Laid back in Las Vegas: Residents of Las Vegas are much more likely to stay home for their holiday meal, compared with the rest of the nation (77 percent versus 69 percent). They also are more likely to have intimate gatherings, with 34 percent (the highest in the nation by a large margin) saying they will host just two people. This might explain why one-third of respondents from Las Vegas say they start planning their holiday meal just one week before the actual meal — a shorter time period than other markets. Las Vegas also contains the highest percentage of people who describe their holiday meal-hosting abilities as “Martha Stewart on steroids.”
•Motor trips in Minneapolis/St. Paul: Compared with the rest of the nation, residents of the Minneapolis/St. Paul area are most likely to be on the road this holiday season, with 35 percent planning to eat at a relative’s home versus 29 percent nationwide. While 48 percent of Americans cited turkey as the food or dish that best represents their holiday meal, only 39 percent of Minneapolis/St. Paul residents did. The Twin Cities had the highest percentage of respondents saying that ham best defines their holiday meal (19 percent, compared with 12 percent nationwide). Residents of the Twin Cities were also more likely to name wild rice as their secret stuffing ingredient, compared with the rest of the nation (9 percent versus 5 percent).
•Spending less in Orange County/Los Angeles: Twenty-six percent of residents in the Orange County and Los Angeles area plan to spend less money on their main holiday meal this season, the highest percentage in the survey and well above the national average of 12 percent. In addition, people in Orange County and Los Angeles are more likely to change up their holiday meal and try something new (45 percent versus 37 percent nationally). Nearly 45 percent of area respondents say that their family’s health and nutrition is very important to maintain at holiday time, tying them with San Diego for the highest percentage in the country.
•Staying close to the nest in Norfolk, Va.: Fifteen percent of Norfolk residents say they will host 11 to 14 people for their holiday meal, compared with just 9 percent nationally. While turkey and ham were named by respondents both in Norfolk and across the nation as the top two food items that best represent or define the holiday meal, Norfolk residents listed sweet potatoes as their third choice, significantly higher than the national average of 3 percent. When asked to describe themselves as a holiday meal host, Norfolk residents were more likely than the rest of the nation to identify themselves as “The Nightmare Before Christmas” (15 percent versus 9 percent).
•Planning in Philadelphia: Philadelphia area residents are planners, with 21 percent saying they start planning the menu for their holiday meal a month or more before the occasion, significantly higher than the 14 percent who say they do so nationwide. Sixty-seven percent of Philadelphia residents do everything themselves when it comes to preparing the holiday meal, compared with 57 percent across the country. This might explain why 31 percent of Philadelphia residents say they are fairly or extremely stressed by the experience of being the holiday meal host, compared with just 19 percent nationally.
•Sage advice in St. Louis: While celery topped the list of holiday stuffing secret ingredients nationally, sage came out ahead of all other items as the ingredient St. Louis residents use to make their stuffing their own. St. Louis residents are more likely to serve green beans and sweet potatoes with their holiday meal, compared with the rest of the country. When asked about substituting healthier options for the traditional holiday meal, 80 percent of St. Louis residents said they will stick with tradition, significantly higher than the 65 percent who plan to stick with tradition rather than substituting healthier options nationwide.
•Eating sensibly in San Diego: Nearly 45 percent of San Diego residents (tied with the Orange County/Los Angeles area as the highest in the survey) say their family’s health and nutrition is very important at holiday time, compared with 34 percent nationally. Nearly half say that healthy choices for their family outweigh the need for tradition, by far the highest percentage in the survey. More than one-third of San Diego residents say they are not at all stressed by the experience of being the holiday meal host, significantly higher than the 22 percent nationwide.
Additional results from the local market surveys are available upon request.
Shoppers can find ideas for not only the main holiday meal but also everyday occasions both in-store and online at their local stores’ websites. In addition, information about holiday promotions, events, special offers and coupons can be found on store websites and Facebook pages, and can be accessed by mobile phone.
Source: Supervalu Inc.