Understanding category performance is essential for today’s grocery store managers seeking to optimize their profits while continuing to meet customer demands. Each category, from fresh produce to frozen foods, plays a unique role in driving your business’s sales, enhancing customer satisfaction, and fostering customer loyalty.
However, more and more grocers have been increasing their focus on categories that support frictionless revenue generation — categories that require less manpower while still contributing to their business’s bottom line.
But what are today’s top-performing categories for grocery stores? And, more importantly, which categories should you include at your grocery store?
Why Category Performance Matters
While it might not seem like it at the outset, grocery stores are actually complex ecosystems. Every square foot of shelf space must be able to justify its existence — it needs to earn its keep, in other words.
Thus, categories such as fresh produce, dairy, meat, beverages, and snacks serve different purposes within the store. Some grocery store categories serve as footfall drivers that pull customers in, while others offer valuable, high profit margins.
Top-Performing Categories
Here are grocery stores’ top categories for performance in 2025.
Fresh Produce
Consistently a top-performing category, fresh produce attracts health-conscious shoppers and other customers who are looking for premium quality. However, fresh produce is inherently perishable and thus requires dedicated and effective inventory management.
Dairy and Eggs
While everyday staples like milk, cheese, and eggs help drive regularly recurring visits, this category also faces significant pricing pressures due to competing grocery and even convenience stores.
Packaged Snacks and Beverages
This category offers high-margin items that have long shelf lives, which helps grocery stores like yours capitalize on impulse buys and popular trends.
Frozen Foods
After a surge in demand for frozen meals, vegetables, and fruits during the pandemic, the frozen food category has proven to be a resilient staple.
Prepared Foods
With everyone always on the go, the growing demand for ready-to-go meals and snacks has made deli sections and pre-cooked meals an essential category.
Frictionless Revenue
Lately, items in the frictionless category have been gaining more and more attention from grocery store owners due to their ability to generate revenue with minimal labor. Offering gift cards, money services, lottery tickets, and coin-operated amusement machines (COAMs) is becoming increasingly desirable for today’s grocers, as they can be easily integrated into self-service kiosks. All in all, frictionless category items are highly attractive to retailers seeking operational efficiency.
Generate Extra Revenue with COAMs
There’s just no denying the appeal of making money without breaking a sweat. Fortunately, grocery store owners like you can leverage frictionless revenue categories to help maximize revenue. In particular, COAMs are especially effective.
Implementing some COAMs at your grocery store is an easy way to entice and capture your shoppers’ attention. Moreover, the allure of exciting gameplay and the potential for rewards will keep your customers in the store longer. And the longer shoppers are in your store, the more compelled they will be to make additional purchases that they might not have otherwise.
Moreover, offering COAMs will give your grocery store an edge over other grocers that can’t offer the same experience. Talk about giving your bottom line a boost!
There’s no reason to delay implementing COAMs at your grocery store, especially when you consider how quick and easy it is to acquire a skill games license. On top of that, working with a credible and reliable Master License Holder like INAMAX makes the implementation process even smoother.
Other Trends to Watch For in 2025
Curious about other grocery store trends you should keep an eye out for in 2025? Check out the overview below:
- Technology Integration: Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning will be leveraged to help predict demand, optimize pricing, and even personalize customer recommendations.
- Sustainability: Eco-friendly packaging and sourcing transparency will become increasingly important factors influencing customer loyalty.
- Health and Wellness: Consumer preferences for category items with low-sugar, gluten-free, meatless, or plant-based ingredients will continue to increase.
- Online Ordering and Delivery: Online grocery shopping and curbside pickup will be critical for locations of all sizes.
- Localization: Tailoring category items to local tastes and demographics will become increasingly important to consumers.
- Frictionless Revenue Opportunities: Expect to see more retailers embracing self-service and automated solutions for categories like gift cards, money services, lottery tickets, and skill games.
Boost Your Grocery Store’s Bottom Line with the Right Categories
Category performance is not just about sales — it’s about creating a store that resonates with the community it serves. That’s why grocery stores that make a point of featuring high-performing categories are better positioned to adapt to market changes, satisfy customer needs, and achieve their financial goals. By leveraging frictionless categories, grocery managers and owners like you can ensure their stores thrive in a competitive landscape.