New York State of Fridge: Survey Reveals Condiments And Expired Foods Lurk Within Big Apple Residents' Refrigerators

81% of New Yorkers Report Grocery Shopping Frustrations

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May 11, 2015, 12:20 ET

NEW YORK, May 11, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The city that never sleeps might actually be staying up nights worrying "what's for dinner?" A new study conducted by KRC Research on behalf of Peapod.com, the country's leading online grocer, reveals that, when compared to other major cities like Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia and DC, New Yorkers are the least likely to have common things like produce, meat and seafood, deli items and frozen foods stocked in their fridge. In fact, more New Yorkers (80%) have condiments vs. meat or seafood (59%) and two out of five (40%) admit to having expired food lurking in their refrigerators. It's no wonder that 41%, the highest in any city polled, say they prefer take-out/delivery or dining out.

It seems the barrier to a fully stocked fridge comes with the harrowing New York City grocery store experience (click here to hear from New Yorkers directly). Eight-one percent of NYC residents report city food shopping woes, most commonly very long lines (48%), followed by crowded aisles (45%), sticker shock at prices (38%) and less-than-fresh produce (32%). Shoppers who think they're in the clear once they leave the grocery aisles and hit the checkout line are mistaken - nearly a quarter of their shopping trip is spent waiting in line and checking out.

New Yorkers also report carrying an average of nearly 19 lbs. per grocery trip, turning their errands into a workout! To limit the "schlepp," New Yorkers end up having to make multiple runs to the store; 64% report that "I shop frequently so that I don't have to carry too many groceries home at once."

This lack of full fridge stock-ups leaves them pretty unprepared for surprise dinner guests or even a zombie apocalypse. Only 10% of New Yorkers identified themselves as a "Fabulous Foodie," someone who has everything needed to make a fancy meal fit for foreign dignitaries, and when asked how long they could survive on fridge contents alone, New Yorkers could only last an average of 6.6 days which is 1-2 days less than residents of other cities. This is likely because New Yorkers have gone the longest - an average of 26.9 days - without fully restocking their fridge. This is a week longer than Philadelphians, who, coincidentally, buy a whopping 31.4 pounds of groceries during the average trip and would be able to last the longest off of the contents of their fridge.

Peapod to the Rescue
To help these city residents - whether in an apocalyptic situation or just for regular meal planning - Peapod by Stop & Shop now offers the ease and convenience of online grocery delivery to all zip codes in the five boroughs of NYC.

"From the long lines and crowded aisles in the store, to the schlepp to get it home, New Yorkers have a particularly hard time accomplishing their grocery shopping needs," explained Peg Merzbacher, Vice President of Regional Marketing for Peapod. "With Peapod grocery delivery, New Yorkers can skip the lines and headaches and have pantry essentials, fresh produce, meats, seafood and more all delivered with the click of a button, or swipe of a finger with our convenient Peapod app."

Peapod offers a full grocery store assortment from grocery basics to farm-fresh produce; top quality meats and seafood; prepared foods and party trays; deli meats and cheeses that are sliced to order; Kosher, organic and specialty foods; time savers like rotisserie chickens; office, school, health & beauty and pet supplies as well as value store-brand products like Simply Enjoy and Nature's Promise naturals and organics. In New York, specialty items from local purveyors like Balthazar Bakery, Brooklyn Bread, Gotham Greens, D'Artagnan gourmet meats and more will delight shoppers.

To find out your own fridge personality – from Fabulous Foodie to a Piecemeal Meal Maker – visit fromthepod.com/quiz. Iconic New Yorker Cat Greenleaf, a busy mom of two and host of Talk Stoop, will co-host a Twitter chat with Peapod on Wednesday, May 13 at 1:00 EST to share tips for filling your fridge.

About Peapod
Peapod – an Ahold USA company – is the country's leading Internet grocer, serving 24 U.S. markets throughout Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and Wisconsin. Founded in 1989 as a smart shopping option for busy households, today Peapod has delivered more than 30 million grocery orders. Customers can order online or on Peapod's free mobile app for delivery to homes and workplaces or pick-up at many convenient locations. For more information on Peapod, call 1.800.5.PEAPOD (1.800.573.2763), e-mail [email protected] or visit www.peapod.com.

Survey Methodology: KRC Research conducted this research via an online survey of 1,281 Americans ages 18 or older who live in the following cities: Boston, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, or Washington DC. This research was conducted April 10-20, 2015.

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SOURCE Peapod