By Michael Bielawski

Vermont has more grocery stores per shopper than any state except New York. That’s one data point from a report on the nation’s state-by-state shopping trends by Upgraded Points, a data analysis company.

The report notes that Vermont has 3.3 stores per 10,000 residents, while New York has the most with 4.3. At the bottom of the list are Utah, Arizona, and Nevada all tied at 1.1 stores.

Other northern rural states such as Alaska at 2.9 stores and Maine at 2.6 round out the top four. The report states, “You’d think their lower populations would call for fewer stores, but with towns more geographically spread, they have to maintain higher store densities to ensure residents in small towns throughout the state have adequate access.”

35th in spending

Year-round, Vermonters spend 13.3% of their income on groceries, which puts them 35th in the nation. The top states are Montana and South Carolina tied at 15.9%, and North Carolina and Nevada are tied at 15.6%.

States spending the least on groceries are Delaware and California, tied at 12.8%, and then Washington at 13%.

Warm states spend more?

Americans spend more extra funds on food during the holidays.

“The holiday season brings together family, friends, and, apparently, higher grocery bills. Across the U.S., Americans estimate their grocery spending jumps by just over 20% during this time of year,” the report states. “From festive feasts to special treats, the extra spending shows the spirit of the season but can strain household budgets.”

Warmer states may be the worst offenders. Rounding out the top five for the most holiday food spending is Hawaii with a 29.8% increase, then Montana at 28.3%, Tennessee at 28.2%, Virginia at 27.9%, and Texas at 27.7%.

And the top states that spend the least extra on groceries include Wisconsin spending just 17% more, then New Jersey at 18%, Nebraska at 18.9%, Massachusetts at 19.3%, and Minnesota at 19.3%.

US economy trending up?

Newsweek is reporting that the U.S. economy grew at 3.1 percent during the year’s third quarter. It was, “driven by a surge in consumer spending and exports.” The data is from a U.S. Commerce Department release on Thursday.

Other data from the report states that Americans are spending more. It states, “Consumer spending, which accounts for two-thirds of U.S. economic activity, was a key driver of the third quarter’s growth, expanding at a 3.7 percent annual rate,” it states. 

There’s also some new inflation data. The report continues, “Meanwhile, the Commerce Department’s preferred measure of inflation, the personal consumption expenditures index, rose by only 1.5 percent during the quarter,” they report. It continues, “Core inflation, which excludes food and energy, was 2.2 percent, down from the second quarter’s 2.8 percent.”

More stats

Other national stats include that 6 in 10 Americans prefer self-checkout to using a cashier. 51% of Americans use plastic bags and 39% bring their own.

Of the average grocery bill, 37% goes towards proteins and meats, then produce accounts for 23%, while packaged foods are at 16%.

Credit card for groceries?

The study says that consumers who use credit cards for groceries and can pay off those bills each month will build their credit score and sometimes gain other perks via the card companies. The report notes that 49% of men do this already as do 38% of women.

The author is a writer for the Vermont Daily Chronicle