Turkey Habits for Thanksgiving 2024 – Abasto

Ahead of Turkey Day, retail data science firm 84.51° surveys Kroger shoppers about their plans for this year, particularly Thanksgiving, in “Consumer Digest: The Future of Grocery Shopping,” October 2024.

How will people celebrate Thanksgiving 2024?

46% of respondents said they would be a guest at someone else's house, 29% would host Thanksgiving dinner and 4% would eat at a restaurant. Only 11% do not plan to celebrate Thanksgiving this year.

Preparing for Thanksgiving

Most shoppers (81%) buy a turkey for Thanksgiving and 44% prepare their meals using a mix of homemade and store-bought items. 25% of shoppers say they would prepare a meal from scratch, and 12% would prepare a meal using only store-bought items. 52% of shoppers say they will start cooking dinner the night before Thanksgiving.

The night before Thanksgiving, many people begin preparing the holiday meal, with 52% of people devoting their time to this task. Others choose to relax, with 48% watching TV or films. Cleaning the house is a priority for 31%, while 25% prefer to meet up with friends and family. A smaller proportion, 14%, enjoy playing games.

Related article: The right wine for Thanksgiving

Traditional dishes vs. new inspiration

20% of shoppers say they are very likely to try a new recipe this Thanksgiving, while 24% say they are unlikely or not at all likely. Those looking to experiment will find inspiration from a variety of sources, including recipe/food websites (60%), cookbooks (38%), Pinterest (37%), family/friend recommendations (34%), cooking shows ( 26%) or Instagram (22%).

What about Thanksgiving leftovers 2024?

73% of respondents say they will eat them plain, while 55% will use them in sandwiches, 39% will give them as gifts to family or friends, 24% will use them in casseroles/pies and 20% will freeze them.