Most shoppers want simple holiday meals that honor traditions, says Wegmans

The holiday season is a time for celebration and togetherness, but when it comes to entertaining, it can also bring a certain level of stress, says Wegmans.

A recent survey by the Rochester, N.Y.-based grocer revealed that, this holiday season, customers want to prioritize their traditional holiday recipes (77%), while also finding ways to keep holiday meals simple and easy and/or opportunities to simplify entertaining (78%), according to a news release.

The survey revealed customers are creating ease during the holidays by carefully choosing what to make from scratch and what to buy ready-made. In fact, about 7 in 10 said they plan to serve a healthy combination of homemade and store-bought prepared food items when hosting holiday celebrations (69%). This allows them to dedicate their time and effort to preparing dishes that hold personal significance, evoke cherished memories or reflect their cultural heritage, the release said.

Wegmans said it can help pair family recipes with ready-to-eat, ready-to-heat and ready-to-cook accompaniments, allowing hosts to serve high-quality, delicious meals without spending hours in the kitchen. Customers can find a variety of appetizers, main dishes, sides and desserts in-store, on Wegmans.com and through Meals 2GO, the release said.

Traditions may be strong during the holidays, the company said, but people also have an appetite for new holiday meal ideas (61%) and experimenting with new recipes (51%). Customers can discover new holiday recipes and twists on classics in Wegmans’ holiday recipe collection.

Wegmans it conducted the survey online from Nov.7-21, with among 9,395 respondents recruited from its Insiders Panel. The data is not weighted.