(NAFB) – A new report from Placer.ai shows consumers are not heading to the grocery store as much in 2021, compared to 2020.

Pandemic-driven shopping sprees last year had consumers cleaning grocery store shelves. The analytics firm reports a 28 percent drop in store visits the week of March 8, 2021. One researcher says, “2021 is going to be mired in the unique challenge of trying to make sense of certain sectors in a world where year-over-year data could be heavily misleading.”

Visits to leading grocers like Albertsons or Publix during the week of March 8 were down 34.6 percent and 20.3 percent, respectively. Yet, when looking at the same brands compared to the equivalent week in 2019, the picture shifts dramatically, with Albertsons down just 0.3 percent and Publix up 0.8 percent.

While COVID’s health effects seem to be dissipating, the economic consequences will last far longer, as researchers say grocery stores still provide a cost-conscious alternative to eating out.