Better off families look to discounters to save on food bills
Nearly a third of shoppers say they will be using discount supermarkets, such as Aldi and Lidl, more this year, according to the latest IGD ShopperVista research.
This is up from 24% a year ago and is the highest level since the monthly tracking survey began in 2010.
The research found that people from higher socio-economic groups with children are the most likely to increase their visits to discounters with 39% of ABC1 shoppers with children saying they will use discount supermarkets in the year ahead. This compares to 30% of C2DEs with children.
Young shoppers were also found to be most likely to use grocery discounters in the coming year with 39% of 18 to 24 year-olds saying they would shop from the stores compared to 26% of those aged over 55.
Joanne Denney-Finch, chief executive, IGD, said: “Events like the Jubilee weekend, Euro 2012 and the Olympics, are boosting food and grocery sales, while lower inflation is helping British shoppers. The underlying trend, however, is still one of shoppers putting in more effort into their food shopping while contending with considerable pressures on their household budgets.
“Even better-off shoppers, especially those with children, are looking to discount stores to save money as they feel the squeeze. While they remain a small part of the overall grocery market – representing just 4.5% – discounters have been broadening their appeal to help even higher-income shoppers to tighten their belts.”
