The Ultimate Guide to
the Top Products Sold in Grocery
Stores: The What, Why, and How

The difference between a thriving grocery store and a struggling one often comes down to one thing: stocking the products your customers want.

Is customer service important? Sure. Do you need the right team? Absolutely. But the best employees and customer service in the country won’t help if you run out of milk, bread, and eggs every Tuesday. 

These staples are in every grocery store — but what else should you stock? We’re here to eliminate the guesswork. In this guide, we’ll dig into:

  • The top products every grocery store should carry, based on national trends and consumer surveys
  • How to balance these popular items with local tastes and preferences
  • Strategies for pricing and product placement to maximize sales
  • Tips for managing seasonal demand and keeping your inventory fresh
  • The ins and outs of inventory management (and how the right grocery point of sale (POS) system can make it a breeze)

Whether you’re opening your first grocery store or looking to breathe new life into your existing one, we’ll help you develop a plan for smarter stocking and higher profits.

Chapters

What Should You Stock in Your Grocery Store?

Before we highlight the most common grocery items flying off shelves nationwide, there’s something crucial you can’t overlook: your potential customers. Your customers’ needs and preferences are unique, and your offerings should be, too. 

How can you find out what your customers want?

Start with local demographics

Your store reflects your community. Are you in a college town with health-conscious students? A family-friendly suburb? Or maybe an urban area with busy professionals? Each demographic calls for a different mix of products. Consider:

  • Age groups: Are you catering to young families, retirees, or a mix?
  • Income levels: This affects the balance of budget-friendly vs. premium products.
  • Cultural diversity: Different ethnic groups impact demand for specific international foods.
  • Lifestyle factors: Are your customers fitness enthusiasts, busy professionals, or home cooks?

When you can “see” the people you want to serve, stocking your store is less of a guessing game.

 

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Gather customer feedback with surveys


You can’t beat hearing directly from current or potential customers. Get creative! Here are some ideas:

  • Go door to door in your community to find out how people shop for groceries
  • Survey people as they come out of stores in your neighborhood
  • Join local online groups and create polls to see what people feel is missing in other grocery stores
  • Read reviews of other grocery stores in your area, focusing on ones that discuss product selection

If you own a grocery store and want to improve your product mix, use in-store and email surveys or even an old-school suggestion box. The key is asking the right questions. Encourage customers to share their shopping habits, meal planning, dietary preferences, and even their biggest frustrations.

Related Read: Customer Loyalty Trends: 4 Ways Listening To Customers Will Grow Your Grocery


Balance national trends with local preferences

You’ve got national trends and local insights. How can you blend them to make all your customers happy?

  • Start with the national bestsellers: These familiar products are your safe bets.
  • Layer in local favorites: Whether your neighbors are crazy about a local brand of chips or on the hunt for Halal options, give them what they want. 
  • Watch for overlap: You've struck gold when national trends align with local preferences.
  • Be flexible: Sometimes, national trends won't fly in your area. That's fine! Always prioritize what works for your specific customers.

Here's a real-world example: Plant-based milk is trending nationally. In your surveys, you notice a lot of interest in eco-friendly products. 

This could be an excellent opportunity to stock up on oat milk and other plant-based alternatives. But if your local feedback shows a preference for traditional dairy, consider starting with a smaller plant-based section and gradually expanding based on sales.

Note: Lean on your point of sale system for sales data and spotting trends. A dedicated grocery store POS system should provide real-time data on what’s selling and what isn’t.

What Do Grocery Stores Sell?
National Trends in Grocery Shopping

From a high level, staples will remain staples. The heavy hitters are:

  • Milk (still king of the dairy aisle!)
  • Bread (the staff of life is going strong)
  • Eggs (versatile and protein-packed)
  • Fresh produce (hello, health consciousness)
  • Snack foods (because sometimes you just need a chip fix)

But we can break these categories down further.

Top Products Nationwide


🐄 Dairy

Milk (whole, 2%, and plant-based alternatives are strong)
Cheese (from sandwich slices to fancy fromage)
Yogurt (especially Greek and probiotic varieties)

🍞 Bakery

Sliced bread (white and wheat are neck and neck)
Buns and rolls (burger season is year-round, folks)
Tortillas (tacos aren't just for Tuesdays anymore)


🍅 Produce

Bananas (still the top fruit)
Potatoes (the versatile veggie victor)
Tomatoes (technically a fruit, eternally popular)
Leafy greens (kale's reign continues)

🍪 Snacks

Potato chips (the classic munchie)
Popcorn (especially "healthier" varieties)
Nuts and trail mixes (protein-packed snacking)

☕ Beverages

Bottled water (convenience wins)
Soda (still fizzing, but not as strongly as before)
Coffee (ground, whole bean, and ready-to-drink)

🍦 Frozen Foods

Ice cream (some things never change)
Frozen vegetables (convenience meets nutrition)
Frozen pizzas (for those "I don't want to cook" nights)

While these products will continue to fly off the shelves, there are some other trends to be aware of.

What To Consider as Trends Change

Organic foods, sustainability, and convenience are changing the way consumers shop.

  1. Plant-based revolution: Ten years ago, you'd be hard-pressed to find oat milk or plant-based burgers in many stores. Now? They're everywhere. This isn’t a ‘new’ trend — it’s more of a mainstay now.
  2. Health consciousness: There's been a steady shift towards healthier options across all categories. Whole grains, low-sugar alternatives, and products with added vitamins are gaining popularity.
  3. Convenience is king: Ready-to-eat meals, pre-cut fruits and vegetables, and grab-and-go snacks are seeing an uptick. Time is a luxury, and shoppers are willing to pay for products that save them some.
  4. Organic growth: The organic sector is growing steadily. What was once a niche market is now mainstream.
  5. International flavors: As America's palate becomes more diverse, so do our grocery stores. International food aisles are expanding, and once "exotic" ingredients are now everyday items.
  6. Functional foods: Products with added health benefits (think probiotic everything) have gained significant traction.
  7. Sustainability matters: There's a growing demand for products with eco-friendly packaging and sustainably sourced ingredients.
  8. Private labels: Store brands have shed their "generic" image. Many now compete directly with national brands on quality and price.

These national trends don’t play out everywhere, so you need to understand your local market. 

We also recommend keeping a close eye on social media. What’s the latest craze on TikTok? If you don’t know, you might miss out on sales. Here’s an example.

“Shaved frozen fruit” was a big trend in the summer of 2024. Savvy grocery stores created bundles to help people jump on this trend. It’s a great way to use leftover fruit, and many consumers experimented with different toppings and flavors.

Considering trends like this can help you become a go-to hub for customers wanting to try new things!

Should You Offer Hot Food in Your Grocery Store?

Off the bat, yes. A resounding yes. The term "grocerant" - a blend of "grocery" and "restaurant" - has emerged to describe this trend. Many grocery stores now offer prepared foods, hot meals, and even in-store dining.

Pizza display case (1)

 

You’ve got various options:

  • Self-serve hot bars
  • Made-to-order stations (sandwiches, pizzas, etc.)
  • In-store cafes or dining areas
  • Rotisserie stations (chicken, ribs, etc.)
  • International food counters (sushi, Chinese, Mexican, etc.)
  • Soup stations

How you incorporate hot food in your grocery store depends on local demographics. You might offer ready-made burritos, quesadillas, and rice bowls if you serve a predominantly Hispanic community. Experiment and see what your community responds to.

Embracing the grocerant trend isn’t just convenient for your customers. Here are the benefits you can look forward to: 

  • Increased foot traffic
  • Higher average transaction values
  • Differentiation from competitors
  • The opportunity to showcase store-brand products in prepared meals
  • Potential to reduce waste by using near-expiry produce in prepared foods

You’ll also face challenges. You might have to compete with established food service businesses, you’ll need to manage food waste, and last, you’ll need extra space in your store. But don’t let them intimidate you; the rewards are worth the work — you’ll just need to implement hot food offerings slowly. 

Start small with a limited menu, focus on quality, and offer dishes that resonate with your local community. 

How To Organize Your Store: 6 Tips for Product Placement

Now that you know which products are popular nationwide and in your neighborhood, how can you display them? Your store layout should strike the right balance between helping customers find everything they need and encouraging them to explore your aisles. 

The following tips will help you tap into visual merchandising and its benefits.

 

Tip #1: Place your most profitable products at eye level

Why it works: Have you heard the phrase “eye level is buy level?” Psychology backs it up. We’re always looking for the easiest and most convenient route — which is why we focus on what’s right in front of us. Having to crouch down or stretch to the top shelves is hard work! 

Placing your most popular — and profitable — products at eye level encourages customers to buy.

Related Read: Grocery Store Profit Margins: How To Maximize Profits in Your Store

Tip #2: Design your store layout to create a logical flow

Why it works: Guiding customers through your store helps create a better experience for them. Think about how customers tackle their grocery lists. What should be on the outer perimeter? Can you display all your breakfast items in one place? However you do it, your layout should expose customers to as many products as possible.

Pro tip: Place essentials like milk and bread in the back of your store. It might seem counterintuitive (because you’re making it harder for customers to get what they need), but as they walk through your store, you increase the chance they'll spot something else they "need" along the way.

Tip #3: Make the most of endcaps

Why it works: Endcaps are prime real estate in grocery stores. From cross-selling and encouraging impulse buys to promotions and highlighting new products, endcaps are like an extra salesperson. 

trader

 

Trader Joe’s does this well. Do you want to make a Hot Toddy? Here’s everything you need!

 

Tip #4: Organize products by color

Why it works: Colors draw people in. They have visual appeal, and organizing your produce by color looks attractive and encourages people to buy more.

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Tip #5: Group products together

Why it works: Endcaps aren’t the only place to group products. Placing complementary items near each other encourages impulse buys and reminds customers of things they need. Think chips near dips, salad dressings near lettuce, and baking supplies near flour and sugar.

Tip #6: Make the most of your checkout area

Why it works: The checkout counter is customers’ last stop on their journey through your store, so make the most of it! Stock this area with small, impulse-buy items. Gum, candy bars, small toys for kids — things that are easy to add to a cart at the last minute. They all add up.

Bonus Tip: Use your POS data

Your grocery POS system is a goldmine of data. You can: 

  • Track which products are often bought together and place them near each other.
  • Identify your best-selling items and give them prominent positions.
  • Monitor the performance of different store areas and adjust your layout.

Organizing your store is an ongoing process. You can experiment with different layouts and product placements — but you don’t have to guess. Use your POS system to track the results of these changes and refine your approach.

Related Read: How Are Grocery Stores Organized? (+ How You Can Optimize Your Layout)

Balancing Name Brands with Store Brands

How do you ensure you’re serving your local community with affordable groceries while giving them access to name brands? By creating your own products!

 


How to create and offer your own brands

You can offer the same staple, everyday items at a lower price. By cutting out the middleman, you'll enjoy higher profits. You can also have more control over ingredients, offer unique products, and adjust pricing based on your data.

There are some disadvantages, though. Since customers are familiar with popular brand names, some might view store brands as lower quality. You’ll need to find a balance and take a smart approach to promoting your in-store brand. Here are some tips: 

 

 

 

  • Focus on quality: Ensure your store brand matches or exceeds name brand standards.
  • Invest in packaging: Create attractive, professional packaging that stands out next to the popular name brands.
  • Help your products stand out: Use prime shelf space and endcap displays to showcase your brands.
  • Try samples: Offer free samples to overcome quality perception barriers.
  • Educate customers: Inform shoppers about the value and quality of your store brands through signage and staff training.

You should always have cheaper options for staples (bread, milk, eggs, etc.). Customers can choose the premium option, but you won’t exclude anyone by offering more affordable groceries.

Pricing Strategies: What’s the Best Way To Price Top Products?

Profit margins are always a hot topic in the grocery industry. Experts agree that 1-3% is the average profit margin industry-wide — but is that always the case?

 

 

Pricing your products is a delicate process. Shoppers are increasingly price-sensitive — 84% of consumers are frustrated with rising prices — so finding the right balance between making a profit and keeping customers happy is essential.

How to price products competitively

We mentioned earlier that you should always have a cheaper option for staple products, but there are other ways to price your products and create a win-win scenario.

  • Cost-plus pricing: Add a fixed markup to the cost of the product. While straightforward, this approach might not reflect market demand or competitor pricing.
  • Competitive pricing: Research your competitors' prices and position yours accordingly. You can match, undercut, or even price slightly higher if you offer added value.
  • Dynamic pricing: Use your POS system to adjust prices based on demand, time of day, or weather conditions. This strategy helps maximize profits during peak times.
  • Psychological pricing: Use pricing tactics like charm pricing (e.g., $3.99 instead of $4.00) or bundling to make prices appear more attractive.
  • Value-based pricing: Consider the perceived value of your products to customers — premium or unique items command higher prices. Highlight your products' quality, freshness, or unique attributes to justify prices.


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Use loss leaders to bring in new customers

Loss leaders are products you sell at or below cost to attract customers to your store. They can be effective, but use this strategy carefully:

  1. Select popular products that are likely to lead to additional purchases.
  2. Place restrictions on the number of loss leader items each customer can buy to prevent overuse by bargain hunters.
  3. Position loss leaders to guide customers past full-priced items they might also purchase.
  4. Change your loss leaders regularly to keep customers coming back and spread the impact across different product categories.
  5. Use your POS data to ensure that loss leaders are driving additional sales and not just cutting into profits.

What about promotions?

Promotions keep customers coming back for more. They create excitement, foster loyalty, and drive sales. However, be strategic, and always keep your customer base in mind.

You could offer a "Buy 2, Get 1 Free" deal on their favorite cereal or create flash sales that create urgency. Bundling products into meal deals is another good idea — you can offer value and simplify shopping for busy customers.

Seasonal promotions tap into the festive spirit, and cross-product promotions subtly guide customers toward complementary purchases.

Whatever promotions you run, remember that you want to offer genuine value while maintaining a good profit margin. When done right, promotions create a win-win situation: customers feel they're getting a great deal, and your store sees increased foot traffic and sales.

How To Manage Seasonal Demand: 5 Tips

You’ll stock some items year-round, but what about seasonal products? From summer barbecues to winter feasts, you need to plan ahead. One way to prepare is to check what’s in season using the Seasonal Produce Guide from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Here are our top tips.

Tip #1: Plan ahead 

Use your grocery POS system to analyze past years’ sales data. What patterns can you see? When does demand for specific products rise and fall? For example, pumpkin demand might tick up in late August, well before the holiday season. Knowing this, you can stay one step ahead of demand.

 

Tip #2: Create a seasonal calendar

Fail to prepare, prepare to fail. Create a seasonal calendar that outlines vital events, holidays, and seasonal changes throughout the year.

Include all significant holidays, changes in season (start of summer, back-to-school, etc.), and local events. Note which products see increased demand.

Remember that different holidays have different lead times. Christmas items might start appearing in October, while Valentine's Day items typically appear in late January.

Tip #3: Do things gradually

You don’t want a mad rush the week before a holiday. Slowly adjust stock levels to manage cash flow and reduce the risk of overstocking.

 

Tip #4: Carefully manage perishables

We’ll dive into inventory management below, but seasonal demand can affect how you manage perishable goods.

Use dynamic pricing to move perishables quickly during off-peak times. As items approach their sell-by date, consider marking them down to ensure they sell before spoiling.

Last, consider seasonal variations in shelf life. Some produce items may spoil more quickly in the summer heat, requiring more frequent restocking.

 

Tip #5: Have a post-season plan

Decide what to do with leftover stock. Consider offering discounts once the season ends, storing non-perishable items for next year, donating to local food banks, or even repurposing seasonal items. Can Valentine's Day chocolates be repackaged for Mother's Day? 

Managing Inventory: 3 Strategies and 1 Essential Tool

Considering you need to manage thousands of products, your inventory processes and tools must be airtight. Let’s look at seven strategies and tools you can use.

Data-driven stock replenishment

Gut feelings and guesswork are not a good combination — at least when managing inventory in your grocery store. Develop the right practices from the beginning, and you’ll face fewer struggles when you need to pivot or expand. You can use data from your POS system to:

  • Identify fast-moving items that need frequent restocking
  • Spot slow-moving products that might be tying up your capital
  • Predict seasonal fluctuations in demand
  • Set optimal reorder points for each product so you never run out of stock

The idea is to strike a balance. You need just enough stock to meet demand without overstocking to maintain your cash flow and reduce the risk of spoilage.

 

First in, first out (FIFO) inventory management

When dealing with perishable inventory, FIFO is one strategy that helps reduce shrinkage and ensures customers get the freshest products.

The premise is simple: sell your older stock first. Arrange products so that older stock is at the front and newer stock at the back. This takes a bit of upkeep, so train your staff to stock shelves properly and rotate products.

 

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Overstocking and understocking best practices

Overstocking and understocking affect your business in different ways. Overstocking ties up capital in excess inventory and leads to waste. Understocking leads to unhappy customers, weary staff, and a damaged reputation for your grocery store. Here’s how to handle both situations:

Overstocking

  • Implement markdown strategies to move excess inventory
  • Consider bundling overstocked items with faster-moving products
  • Analyze why overstocking occurred to prevent future instances

Understocking

  • Set up automatic reorder alerts in your inventory system
  • Develop relationships with suppliers who can provide quick turnaround on orders
  • Use historical data to anticipate demand spikes and plan accordingly

With the right tools, you can prevent overstocking and understocking. 

 

The best tool for managing inventory

We’ve covered all the strategies you need to know. Now, let’s talk about how to implement them. 

Start with your POS system. A POS system designed for the grocery industry should make managing your stock a breeze. Here are some specific features to look for:

  • Track sales in real time and automatically update inventory levels
  • Set up automatic reorder alerts when stock falls below a certain level
  • Generate reports on inventory turnover, helping you identify trends
  • Create purchase orders directly from low stock alerts
  • Use barcode scanning to quickly receive and update inventory when orders arrive
  • Export all visible data from purchase orders for record-keeping and analysis

Working with a grocery-specific POS provider will give you access to the inventory management software you need. With the right approach and tools, you can optimize your inventory to reduce costs, minimize waste, and ensure you always have the right products to meet customer demand.

The Top Products Sold in Grocery Stores: A Recap


As we wrap up our comprehensive guide to the top products sold in grocery stores, let’s recap the top categories and products:

  • Dairy: Including milk, cheese, and yogurt
  • Bakery: Bread, buns, and pastries
  • Produce: Fresh fruits and vegetables
  • Snacks: Chips, popcorn, and nuts
  • Beverages: Water, soda, and coffee
  • Frozen foods: Ice cream, frozen vegetables, and ready-meals
  • Meat and seafood: Fresh and packaged options
  • Canned and packaged goods: Soups, sauces, and pantry staples

Remember to balance national trends with local preferences. Then, use this guide to manage your inventory to ensure all your customers get what they need. 

Throughout this guide, we’ve highlighted how important technology — specifically your grocery POS system — is to managing your store. As a leading provider of POS systems specifically designed for grocery stores, IT Retail offers solutions that address the industry's unique challenges.

With IT Retail's POS system, you can:

  • Track real-time sales data across all product categories
  • Manage inventory with precision, including reordering
  • Implement and monitor complex pricing strategies and promotions
  • Analyze customer purchasing patterns to inform stocking decisions
  • Simplify operations from the front end to the back office

Want to see IT Retail in action? Schedule a demo with our grocery experts today!

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