From Turkey to Tom Brady: Stop & Shop Polls Americans on Their Thanksgiving Favorites

National survey unveils insights into consumers' meal choices for Thanksgiving 2016

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Nov 22, 2016, 11:12 ET

QUINCY, Mass., Nov. 22, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- A recent national survey commissioned by grocery store retailer Stop & Shop reveals Turkey Day favorites – everything from dishes served to dream guests around the table. As the survey shows, while Thanksgiving is a holiday that revolves around family with close to half (49%) of Americans said spending time with family & friends was what they loved most, nearly a quarter (24%) said eating is their favorite part of the holiday. The survey was conducted to ensure Stop & Shop has the widest variety of fresh and frozen turkey offerings —including its fresh, antibiotic-free and organic turkeys from its Nature's Promise line —that customers can feel good about serving their family.

Stop & Shop has all of your holiday meal needs including a variety of turkeys (frozen, fresh, and fresh organic and antibiotic free). For Thanksgiving recipe ideas visit www.stopandshop.com.

When it comes to turkey choice, a quarter (25%) of Americans are buying fresh, antibiotic-free/organic turkeys, 22% are purchasing fresh and 43% of Americans purchasing frozen birds.

Every good turkey needs a few tasty side dishes, and this Thanksgiving nearly half (48%) of Americans agreed stuffing is the best side that goes with turkey, although mashed potatoes are a close second choice with 31% of people planning to fill their plates with that starchy goodness. Squash was the least favorite garnering just 2%.

So how much do Americans plan to spend on their Thanksgiving meal? 65% of Americans reported that they will spend up to $100 on their meal, 26% will spend up to $150 and 9% up to $250.

Thanksgiving wouldn't be the same without the people you love most sitting around the table together. When asked which celebrity they'd like to share dinner with, the people's choice went to award winning actress Meryl Streep (27%). Pop singer Taylor Swift was second with 21%. If you're a New England Patriots fan, it may come as a surprise that that only 10% of Americans chose Tom Brady (only 7% of people in the Western US would invite Tom over for Thanksgiving). Matt Damon (17%) beat out buddy Ben Affleck (10%), actress Mindy Kaling (8%) and retired Red Sox slugger David Ortiz (7%) round out the list.

Survey Results from New England

Turkey Types: This Thanksgiving, people living in the Northeast prefer their Thanksgiving turkey frozen (36%), however, 25% of American's will purchase an organic/antibiotic free fresh turkey, while 27% will be serving a traditional fresh turkey.
Turkey with the Stars: The survey found that among celebrities with New England ties, 26% would like to spend Thanksgiving dinner with actress Meryl Streep, 18% chose singer Taylor Swift, 17% chose actor Matt Damon, 14% picked New England Patriot Quarterback Tom Brady, 10% chose actor Ben Affleck, actress Mindy Kaling received 7% and retired Red Sox slugger David Ortiz was chosen by 6%.
Stuffing Rules: More than half (52%) of those living in the Northeast chose stuffing as their top turkey side, compared to 48% nationally. Mashed potatoes are the least popular nationally in the Northeast, where 24% of people picked it as their top side, compared to 31%.
The Thanksgiving Tab: 61% of New Englanders will spend up to $100 on their Thanksgiving meal, while 18% will spend up to $150, and 12% will spend over $200 on Thanksgiving dinner this year.
Friends & Family: Almost half of those in the Northeast (48%) say their favorite part of Thanksgiving is spending time with family and friends, 26% say its eating and drinking, 10% report relaxing, 7% say its watching sports, 5% report preparing for black Friday shopping and 3% say volunteering.

KRC Research conducted this research between October 17 and October 18, 2016 via an online survey of 1,110 U.S. adults ages 18+.

About Stop & Shop: The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company LLC employs over 61,000 associates and operates 415 stores throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey. The company helps support local communities fight hunger, combat childhood cancer and promote general health and wellness – with emphasis on children's educational and support programs. In its commitment to be a sustainable company, Stop & Shop is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council and EPA's Smart Way program and has been recognized by the EPA for the superior energy management of its stores. Stop & Shop is an Ahold company.

To learn more about Stop & Shop, visit www.stopandshop.com or www.facebook.com/stopandshop.

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SOURCE Stop & Shop