Women still do the heavy lifting in Barcelona grocery shopping, study shows

In the province of Barcelona, women are responsible for 62% of household shopping, and in nearly 65% of households where the task falls on a single person.   
In contrast, where shopping duties are shared – in 43% of households – men do 55% of the shopping.  

The results come from the "Study of Consumption and Shopping Habits in the Counties of Barcelona" done by the Provincial Council. The survey also reveals that average monthly spending on food and everyday products has risen by 19% since 2019, now reaching an average of €420,70.  

The Provincial Council of Barcelona presented the data this Wednesday. The analysis focuses on shopping and consumption habits with data varying from gender roles in shopping to emerging consumption trends.  

The results are based on a telephone survey of over 7300 family households.  

Gender roles in shopping 

The study shows that women remain the primary shoppers, despite the increase in men taking on more shopping responsibility. Women currently handle 62% of household shopping, a slight decrease from 64% in 2019.  

Men are now responsible in 38% of households, compared to 36% in 2019, continuing the upward trend when compared to 29% in 2017. 

In 43% of households, shopping is a shared responsibility. In those households, men lead in 56% of cases. Whereas for the remaining 57% of households, where shopping falls on one person, women take on the role in 65% of the cases.  

Inflation and other shopping habits 

Another key point found in the study was the rise in average monthly spending. Households now spend €420,70 on food and regular household items, 17% more than in 2019. This increase is largely due to inflation in recent years.  

Satisfaction with local retail options in the Barcelona area remains stable overall, averaging 7 out of 10, the same as in 2019. However, this varies significantly by municipality size: Barcelona city scores highest at 8, while smaller towns and villages, especially those with fewer than 500 residents, report much lower satisfaction, as low as 2.  

Families with children tend to rate shopping options more critically, especially in their immediate neighborhoods. Customers are most satisfied with personal service and store hours, while parking availability and product prices are the main complaints. 

Environmentally conscious shopping habits are shifting slightly. While 60% of people regularly use reusable items, mainly cloth and plastic bags, interest in ecological products has declined slightly. In contrast, the value placed on local products has grown. Store-brand purchases have risen, with nearly half of all households buying more of them recently. 

Shopping habits remain largely local, with 88% of daily purchases made within the same municipality. For non-daily items, this drops to 67%, with more people shopping in other towns (25%) or online (8%).  

Online shopping has plateaued overall, with usage rates similar to 2019 (just over 60%), but there’s a notable rise in online grocery shopping, used by 25% of consumers, up from 17%.