Tradition still leads us to believe women do more grocery shopping than men. But according to a recent study, the genders are now pretty much equal.

The Grocery Shopper Impact MegaStudy conducted by VideoMining, a State College, Pennsylvania-based provider of store behavioral analytics, found that women account for 51 percent of in-store grocery shoppers and men 49 percent.

Equal on-site presence has not meant equal spending power, however. On average, female grocery shoppers spend $2.73 more per trip.

The study also found that shoppers of both genders are avoiding the center of the store in favor of shopping the perimeter — traditionally where the healthier items such as fruits, vegetables and dairy items are shelved. One in five shoppers avoid the center of the store altogether.

Shoppers are also trading in their weekly packed carts for smaller, more frequent visits. About 68 percent of grocery store check-out carts include 10 items or less.

While this is bad new for retailers that now have less chance of slipping into an overstuffed cart, it’s likely a sign of good news for our overall health. Shoppers are becoming accustomed to a diet and lifestyle that requires more frequent trips to the store to replenish stashes of perishable produce instead of the old method of stocking up on processed, shelf-stable foods.

(h/t The Progressive Grocer)

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Meghan is a full-time writer exploring the fun facts behind food. She lives a healthy lifestyle but lives for breakfast, dessert and anything with marinara. She’s thrown away just as many meals as she’s proud of.