Two-thirds of UK shoppers say that food costs will have the highest impact on their wallet this year, according to a survey by research charity IGD.
Energy bills (58%), petrol prices (53%), lack of a pay increase (31%), and interest rates (28%) completed the top five financial concerns for 2017.
More than 80% of thrifty shoppers said that they cooked meals at home or ate leftovers to cut down on grocery expenses. More than 60% said they visited two or more stores to find the best prices, and 63% said they opted for packed lunches over lunch dates.
Thirty-seven percent of shoppers admitted to removing items from their basket, either online or in-store, to lower checkout costs. More than a quarter said they tested out their green thumb and grew their own fruit and vegetables, and one in five said they had skipped a meal to save money.
Shopping at certain times of day to avail of 'reduced to clear' sales was a habit of 33% of UK consumers, and more than one in ten said they had asked staff to reduce the price of damaged or nearly-expired items.
Londoners were the most likely to ask for slashed prices (18%), while residents of the Midlands were least likely (10%).
More than three-quarters of shoppers said they had used a coupon, while 31% said they had used somebody else's coupon or loyalty card to save cash, in the last six months.
Vanessa Henry, shopper insight manager for IGD, commented,"UK shoppers are really switched on where personal and wider economic circumstances are concerned. It's therefore no surprise that we're seeing such a proactive and creative approach to grocery shopping.
"With food and drink prices continuing to show year-on-year price deflation for the time being it's encouraging to see that consumers are ahead of the curve by adopting such savvy tactics to save money."
The survey was conducted during the month of January 2017, polling 1,700 grocery shoppers.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Karen Henderson. Click subscribe to sign up for ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
