Thanksgiving week remains the Black Friday of grocery retail, with households racing to fill carts with everything from fresh produce and pies to cranberry sauce and stuffing.
And in 2025, U.S. consumers proved holiday meals aren’t a place to cut corners.
MapZot.AI data shows that overall visits to grocery stores grew year over year, both on Turkey Wednesday and across the full week leading up to the holiday. Even with rising food prices, shoppers prioritized family gatherings, reinforcing grocery retail’s critical role in essential spending.
Key Takeaways
Turkey Wednesday (Nov. 26, 2025) once again delivered major foot traffic gains with overall grocery store visits trending up vs. 2024.
Traditional grocery stores dominated last-minute shopping, pulling significantly above their typical weekday baseline.
Value grocery chains won the early week, capturing deal-seeking shoppers focused on budget-friendly stock-ups.
Dwell times peaked earlier in the week, then shortened on Turkey Wednesday, signaling a shift from large stock-up missions to quick top-off trips.
Average visits per location grew across formats, showing strong demand across the grocery category despite continued inflation pressures.
Traditional Grocery Wins the Final Countdown Rush
While shoppers spread trips across the week, the day before Thanksgiving belonged to traditional supermarkets.
Chains with broad assortments and familiar layouts like Kroger, Publix, Costco, and Safeway captured the last-minute mission shoppers looking to close meal gaps and correct forgotten ingredients.
The relative jump vs. a typical weekday surged significantly higher for traditional grocers than for value or specialty chains illustrating that when urgency peaks, convenience and completeness matter most.
Value Grocers Score During Early Trip Planning
Zooming out to the full Thanksgiving prep period, value chains took the lead among early planners.
Shoppers focused on budget optimization hit ALDI, Grocery Outlet, and dollar-format grocers earlier in the week spreading out spending and securing deals on bulk items and pantry staples.
This two-stage buying pattern continued a trend we’ve seen throughout 2025:
Inflation-conscious shoppers hunt for savings early then switch to convenience mode late in the cycle.
Stock-Up vs. Top-Off Trips: Dwell Time Tells the Story
This rhythm of retail underscores an opportunity:
Value grocers should dominate promotional messaging earlier in holiday cycles
Traditional chains should double down on in-store navigation efficiency and real-time demand forecasting on peak days
What This Means for Grocery Retailers
Thanksgiving week continues to be a critical opportunity for both revenue and customer engagement but success now depends on winning two moments: the early-week planners and the day-before dash. Retailers who strengthen value-driven promotions ahead of the rush, while optimizing store layout and in-stock execution for fast, last-minute missions, can capture more of the holiday basket. With mobility and location intelligence from MapZot.ai, brands can anticipate these shifting trip patterns, allocate labor and inventory smarter, and ensure every shopper finds exactly what they need whether they’re filling the cart or grabbing the final ingredients.
Looking Ahead to December & Beyond
Thanks to strong Turkey Wednesday results, the grocery sector enters the rest of the holiday shopping season with momentum and a clear blueprint:
Meet shoppers where they are physically and financially as needs shift closer to each holiday.
With continuing pressures on household budgets, efficient inventory planning, hyper-local data, and targeted promotions will be key to outmaneuvering competition.
