Walmart Captures 26% of SNAP Grocery Spend Over Past Year

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is in the news lately, so Numerator tracked purchase data and surveyed verified buyers to update its SNAP Insights Center. SNAP is the largest anti-hunger program in the U.S. 

Key takeaways from the year ending Sept. 30 include: 

• SNAP shoppers spend an average of $832 on groceries monthly (+20% vs. non-SNAP shoppers), shop an average of 6.6 retailers each month for groceries (vs. 6.1), and spend an average of $20.80 per grocery trip (-12% vs. non-SNAP shoppers). 
• Walmart captured 26.1% of SNAP shoppers’ annual grocery spend. SNAP shoppers spend an average of $2,653 at the retailer annually. 
• These retailers captured the highest percentage of SNAP grocery shoppers: Walmart (94.4% of SNAP shoppers shopped), Target (58.2%), Amazon (52.4%), Dollar General (51.7%), and Kroger (48.8%). 
• SNAP trips accounted for 3.6% of all in-store grocery trips. 
• The states with the largest percent of in-store grocery trips that utilized SNAP or WIC benefits are New Mexico (7.2%), California (6.6%), Massachusetts (6.6%), Oregon (6.4%), Nevada (5.4%), and Hawaii (5.4%). 
• Many categories are showing up on fewer SNAP trips compared to last year, including deli (-1.4 points), beverages (-1.3 points), and snacks (-1.0 point). 
• For the three months ending Sept. 30, traditional grocers captured 39.2% of in-store SNAP grocery trips (vs. 38% a year ago). In addition, shoppers have pulled back on SNAP usage at dollar, drug, and gas & convenience channels and increased usage at mass and club stores. 

Additional recent SNAP-based findings can be found at Numerator’s SNAP Insights Center.