SNAPshot: December 2025

Executive Summary

In December, SNAP households on Benny increased total food and essentials spending significantly compared with November, driven by seasonal pressures, holiday-related purchases, and higher per-household item volumes.

Key takeaways:

• Total SNAP spend increased 25.2% month-over-month, likely due to higher grocery spend in December, coupled with the end of the government shutdown in November.

• Items purchased rose 17.6%, indicating larger or more frequent baskets—not just higher prices.

• Growth was broad-based across categories, with health & beauty, baby care, and snacks seeing the largest increases.

• Staple food categories such as meat, dairy, frozen foods, and beverages also posted double-digit growth, reflecting seasonal stock-up behavior.

Methodology & Data Coverage

This report analyzes anonymized, permissioned transaction data from 10,000 active SNAP households using the Benny platform.

• Time period: November–December 2025

• Transactions analyzed: SNAP-eligible purchases only

• Data includes: Grocery, household essentials, and SNAP-eligible non-food categories

• Privacy: All results are aggregated and anonymized. No individual household, retailer, or brand performance is disclosed.

December SNAP Spend Overview

Interpretation:
With household count unchanged, the increase in total spend was driven by higher per-household purchase volume, rather than by new users entering the cohort.

Where SNAP Dollars Went in December

Fastest-Growing Categories (MoM)

What this suggests:
SNAP households expanded spending beyond core food staples in December, allocating more benefits toward family care, personal health, and convenience-oriented purchases—a pattern consistent with seasonal needs and year-end household pressures.

Core Food Category Performance

Despite inflationary pressures, fresh and frozen food categories saw steady increases, suggesting households prioritized maintaining meal quality while supplementing with shelf-stable and convenience items.

Basket Composition & Seasonal Signals

Several categories point to holiday and winter-related behavior:

• Baking supplies (+23.1%) and condiments & sauces (+10.2%) increased as households prepared meals at home.

• Snacks (+37.1%) and beverages (+23.0%) rose sharply, consistent with family gatherings and school breaks.

• Deli & prepared foods (+32.5%) suggest a growing reliance on convenience during high-stress periods.

At the same time, canned and packaged foods (+4.4%) grew modestly, indicating that December’s growth skewed more toward fresh, frozen, and ready-to-consume items than long-term pantry stocking.

Pressure & Trade-Off Indicators

While overall spending increased, the data also reveals signs of careful budgeting:

• Growth was driven more by item count than category expansion, suggesting households were stretching benefits across more units.

• Slower growth in traditional low-cost pantry staples may indicate earlier stock-up behavior in prior months.

• Strong growth in baby and health-related categories underscores that SNAP households continue to prioritize essential care needs, even when budgets are tight.

What This Means

For SNAP Households

December spending reflects a balancing act: maintaining nutrition and household stability while managing seasonal expenses. The rise in item count suggests households are actively optimizing their benefits to meet short-term needs.

For Retailers & CPGs

Demand increased across both staple and convenience categories. Pack size flexibility, value pricing, and SNAP-eligible assortment depth matter most during peak pressure months.

For Policymakers & Advocates

Sustained growth in SNAP spending during December highlights the program’s role as a critical stabilizer during seasonal cost spikes, particularly for families with children.

Looking Ahead to January

As seasonal pressures ease:

• Convenience and baking-related categories may normalize

• Pantry staples and frozen foods may regain share

• Item counts per household will be a key signal of ongoing budget pressure