Shoppers sold on discounters to save costs
AN INCREASING number of Britons are planning to switch their food shops from their usual supermarket to discounters such as Aldi and Lidl this year in an attempt to cut costs, new research shows.
A survey by retail experts IGD claimed today that a third of shoppers say they will be visiting the aisles of budget retailers.
This is the highest level since the monthly tracking survey began in 2010 and is up from 24 per cent a year ago.
“Events like the Jubilee weekend, Euro 2012 and the Olympics, are boosting food and grocery sales, while lower inflation is helping British shoppers,” said Joanne Denney-Finch, chief executive of IGD.
“The underlying trend, however, is still one of shoppers putting in more effort into their food shopping while contending with considerable pressures on their budgets.”
The survey found that better-off shoppers, especially those with children, were more likely to use discount grocers in the year ahead as they look to tighten their belts.
But shoppers aged 18 to 24 made up the biggest category, with 39 per cent saying they intended to use discounters this year compared with 26 per cent of people aged over 55.