Wealthier people shop more often, and what they want is value.
A new survey quietly dismantles the image of the wealthy American gliding through artisanal aisles — it turns out the affluent are more likely to push an oversized cart through a warehouse than browse a premium specialty market. YouGov data reveals that Costco is the primary grocery destination for 11 percent of households earning $150,000 or more annually, outpacing both Kroger and Walmart among that cohort. The finding speaks to something older than trend: that the accumulation of wealth and the habit of frugality are rarely strangers to one another, and that economic anxiety, when it rises, has a way of concentrating the minds of rich and poor alike.
- A YouGov survey has cracked open a long-held assumption — wealthy Americans are not flocking to Whole Foods or Erewhon, but to Costco, where bulk pricing and warehouse logic reign.
- The tension is real: an annual membership fee of $65 to $130 screens out budget-conscious shoppers, yet it is precisely the affluent who are walking through those doors in the greatest numbers.
- Larger households spending over $150 a week on groceries find that bulk purchasing isn't a compromise — it's a strategy, and one that compounds in savings the more mouths there are to feed.
- Rising gas prices and economic uncertainty are tightening the calculus even for high earners, pushing deliberate, list-driven, unit-price-aware shopping into mainstream affluent behavior.
- The data lands here: frugality is not a symptom of poverty but often a discipline of wealth, and Costco has quietly become the cathedral where that discipline is practiced at scale.
A new survey has overturned a familiar assumption about where America's wealthiest households spend their grocery dollars. According to YouGov data, 11 percent of Americans earning at least $150,000 annually name Costco as their primary grocery store — a larger share than those who favor Kroger or Walmart Supercenter — and this despite the warehouse club's annual membership fee of $65 to $130.
The portrait that emerges defies the stereotype of the affluent shopper browsing organic specialty markets. Higher-income households tend to be larger, and they spend accordingly — just over half report spending more than $150 weekly on groceries, compared to 28 percent of middle- and lower-income families. For a household of five or six, the math of bulk purchasing is simply hard to argue with.
Food industry analyst Phil Lempert sees no paradox here. Wealthy people, he notes, are often frugal people — and that frugality is frequently part of how they built their wealth. They shop often, they hunt for value, and Costco's model of large package sizes and discounted per-unit pricing fits that mindset precisely. The membership fee, rather than being a barrier, functions as a filter that rewards the kind of frequent, high-volume shopper the warehouse model is built for.
Among middle- and lower-income Americans, the pattern reverses sharply. Walmart Supercenter dominates at 20 percent, with Costco claiming only 5 percent — suggesting the membership fee carries real weight for households with tighter margins.
Lempert's deeper observation reaches beyond shopping carts. Economic uncertainty is making consumers across all income levels more deliberate: buying with lists, comparing unit prices, avoiding impulse purchases, and scrutinizing hidden markups on items like specialty cheese or thawed seafood. The wealthy are not immune to these pressures — they are simply better equipped to absorb them, and Costco offers them a structured, almost ritualistic way to do so.
A new survey has upended a common assumption about where America's wealthiest shoppers spend their grocery dollars. Eleven percent of households earning at least $150,000 annually say Costco is their primary grocery store—a larger share than those naming Kroger or Walmart Supercenter. This finding arrives despite the warehouse club's requirement that members pay between $65 and $130 each year just to walk through the doors.
The YouGov data paints a picture of affluent households that defies the stereotype of the wealthy shopper drifting through organic specialty markets. Costco's appeal to higher-income Americans—who represent roughly 10 percent of the population—rests on something more practical than prestige. These households tend to be larger, and they tend to spend heavily on food. Just over half of higher-income families reported spending more than $150 weekly on groceries, compared to 28 percent of middle- and lower-income households. For a family of five or six, bulk purchasing at warehouse prices makes straightforward economic sense.
Phil Lempert, a food industry analyst based in Santa Monica, California, sees no mystery in the numbers. Wealthier people, he explained, are often frugal people—which is partly how they became wealthy in the first place. They shop more frequently than lower-income households, and when they do, they're hunting for value. Costco's model of large package sizes and discounted per-unit pricing aligns perfectly with that mindset. The membership fee, rather than deterring affluent shoppers, functions as a filter that rewards frequent, bulk-oriented purchasing.
The conventional wisdom suggests that rich Americans gravitate toward premium chains like Whole Foods or Erewhon. The survey suggests otherwise. Kroger did place second among higher-income shoppers at 10 percent, but Lempert attributed this partly to geography and habit—people tend to shop where they live, and Costco's footprint concentrates in larger metropolitan and suburban areas. With gas prices elevated, even affluent consumers are less willing to drive long distances chasing marginal savings.
Among middle- and lower-income Americans, the pattern inverts. Walmart Supercenter dominates at 20 percent, with Walmart proper at 12 percent and Costco at just 5 percent. The membership fee, it seems, does matter more to households with tighter budgets, even if the long-term savings justify the cost.
Lempert's broader observation cuts to something deeper than shopping patterns. Economic uncertainty is making consumers of all income levels more cautious. When people feel nervous about the future, he said, they become more deliberate about spending. That shift shows up in the data: higher-income households are spending substantially more on groceries than they did in previous years, suggesting they're buying more or paying higher prices—or both. The response, across income levels, is to shop smarter. Buy with a list. Compare unit prices. Order online for pickup to avoid impulse purchases. Pay attention to which products—like specialty cheese or thawed seafood—carry hidden markups despite meeting the same standards as cheaper alternatives. The wealthy aren't immune to these pressures. They're simply better positioned to absorb them, and Costco's model gives them a structured way to do so.
Notable Quotes
Wealthier households typically are larger households, so it fits perfectly with Costco's model of larger sizes. Also, wealthier people shop more often, and what they want is value.— Phil Lempert, food industry analyst
When we get nervous, we get more frugal. We have to be smart consumers these days more than ever before.— Phil Lempert
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why would someone paying $130 a year to shop somewhere feel like a better deal than just walking into Walmart?
Because if you're buying for a family of five, and you're going through bulk quantities, that membership pays for itself in a few months. You're not paying for prestige—you're paying for access to lower per-unit prices on the things you actually buy.
But doesn't that assume you have the money upfront to buy in bulk? Isn't that a wealth thing in itself?
Absolutely. That's the real barrier. You need cash flow to buy a month's worth of paper towels at once. Lower-income households often can't do that, even if the math works out better long-term.
So the survey is really showing that wealthy people are rational about money?
More than that. It's showing they're anxious about money, just like everyone else. They're spending more on groceries than they used to. They're just doing it strategically.
What surprised you most in these numbers?
That Kroger placed second among wealthy shoppers. I would have expected Whole Foods to rank higher. But people shop where they live, and Costco doesn't have stores everywhere. Geography matters more than brand prestige.
If gas prices stay high, does this trend continue?
It accelerates. When driving becomes expensive, you shop closer to home. That favors established chains with dense store networks over specialty retailers. Costco wins in suburbs and metros, but rural areas might look different.