A customer browses the bakery section at a supermarket, with piles of fresh potatoes, lemons, and watermelons filling the produce display.
Turkish consumers most frequently buy chicken, rice and yogurt — the core ingredients of the popular dish Tavuk pilav — together for dinner, according to a consumption report based on an analysis of 1 million anonymized shopping receipts.
The study, conducted by the Turkish Federation of Retailers (TPF), examined receipts from the first three quarters of the year to map changing consumer habits across Türkiye. It found that shoppers are increasingly dividing their budgets into smaller, more frequent purchases rather than making large monthly grocery trips. The average basket was worth 912 Turkish Liras ($18) and contained 19 products.
Chicken appeared in 36 percent of dinner-focused baskets, making it the most common choice, while red meat accounted for 24 percent. Other frequently purchased combinations included minced meat, pasta and tomato paste, as well as meatballs, potatoes and ayran, a yogurt-based drink.
TPF Chair Ömer Düzgün said the findings showed that traditional eating habits remained prominent, with chicken, rice and yogurt forming one of the most common dinner combinations for Turkish households.
The report also highlighted the impact of payday on grocery spending. The average basket stood at 1,118 liras during the first five days of the month but fell to 808 liras toward the end, a 28 percent decline.
During payday week, basket sizes were 38 percent higher than at the end of the month, accompanied by increased purchases of meat, cleaning products and larger packages.
Friday was the busiest shopping day. Meanwhile, 43 percent of daily shopping traffic took place between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Basic food and fresh produce made up 75 percent of total basket volume. Women’s baskets contained an average of 22 products, compared with 16 for men.
Breakfast shopping most commonly combined bread, milk and eggs, followed by tomatoes, cucumbers and white cheese.
