Three in four (76%) supermarket shoppers in the UK expect a rise in their grocery bills over the next three months, while 73% have already seen an increase in their household grocery bills compared to the year before, new cost of living data from Ipsos has unveiled.
Among shoppers who have seen an increase in the costs of their groceries, 4 in 10 (39%) said they were finding it difficult to afford the increase this year compared to 2021.
Almost half of those (46%) who expect an increase said they would find it difficult to afford as prices continue to soar.
CEO of IPSOS UK, Kelly Beaver, commented, “Within a turbulent climate affecting government, oil prices and employment, basic amenities like food and household goods are being hit heavily by inflation in the UK.[…]
“As disposable income comes under growing pressure, we expect to see shoppers becoming savvier and shopping cheaper, so households can afford the price increase in their weekly shop.”
Read More: Inflation Leading To 'Cost Of Living Squeeze' In UK, Says Kantar
Smart Shopping
The study also found that 28% of shoppers wait to buy items until they are offered on promotion, while an equal percentage shop at several supermarkets to find better deals.
In addition, 26% of bargain hunters buy in bulk to manage the price increase.
However, 18% of the respondents have cut other household expenses to afford their weekly purchases, and 10% have given up online grocery deliveries.
Rising prices are also pushing shoppers to change the way they shop.
Around 37% of shoppers have moved to cheaper brands, 1 in 3 (34%) have stopped buying non-essential groceries and 32% are buying ‘yellow sticker’ discounted items approaching their use-by date to save money, the study noted.
Supermarkets
Currently, 30% of shoppers buy groceries from Tesco and 15% go to Aldi.
Data also showed that around 18% of shoppers changed supermarkets to afford the increase in prices, with Aldi emerging as the most popular destination for savings.
Among shoppers who are also planning to switch, almost one in four (23%) opted for Aldi. One in five (19%) shoppers see themselves going to Lidl, while one in ten (10%) favour Asda.
© 2022 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest Retail news. Article by Dayeeta Das. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
