May 13, 2026
As food prices soar, shopping in discount stores — the kind where you bring your own bags and pick cans out of boxes — is becoming the norm, even for affluent customers.
It started in the wake of the pandemic. Food costs soared 9.9% in 2022 (the biggest increase since 1979), according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (1).
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For some middle-class shoppers, the walk down the discount aisle was a walk of shame. Rachel Negro-Henderson told NPR (2) about running into friends at Aldi after her husband lost his job in the pandemic.
"People would not want to talk about why they were here, like it was a mistake," she said. "They just stumbled into a grocery store because they needed a tomato."
But the shift continues, along with a shift in perception.
Shopping at a discount store is no longer taboo
According to a Spring 2026 Consumer Sentiment Survey (3) from Alvarez & Marsal, 42% of grocery store shoppers indicate they'll be switching to less expensive stores this spring, while 31% did the same last fall.
No wonder. Food-at-home costs spiked 2.9% last year and are on track for a similar bump in 2026.
After years of sustained pressure on household budgets, perceptions are shifting about looking for bargains. It's no longer taboo to shop at a discount store.
"Everyone's like, 'Yeah, I'm saving money. I might as well come here. I'm getting the same product,'" Negro-Henderson said.
Still, Kiki Rough, a social media influencer who posts Depression-era recipes, told NPR that she knows people who feel ashamed about such things.
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"I know a lot of people right now who have shame about where they are in their lives, their financial situations, down to the food that they have access to," she said.
"You need to not be ashamed that we are in a difficult economy."
Discount grocery stores are delivering
The Spring 2026 Consumer Sentiment Survey noted that "perceptions of lower-priced grocers have improved," as shoppers look for value, noting that more Americans may switch if they have a positive experience.
In fact, according to Retail Dive (4), 68% of surveyed consumers indicated that lower-priced stores are just as clean as traditional grocers, and 63% reporting good experiences with customer service.
As discount grocers become more mainstream and news of their benefits spreads, the shame about shopping there should diminish even further — and more Americans who are having a hard time getting by may be willing to give them a try.
As NPR notes, it's no longer a dirty little secret. And that's a good thing if it brings some financial relief during a turbulent economic time.
Article Sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our ethics and guidelines.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (1); NPR (2); Alvarez & Marsal (3); Retail Dive (4)
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Christy Bieber has 15 years of experience as a personal finance and legal writer. She has written for many publications including Forbes, Kilplinger, CNN, WSJ, Credit Karma, Insurify and more.
