Trust in supermarkets at 10-year low like ‘dark days of horsemeat scandal’
Trust in supermarkets has plunged to its lowest level in nearly a decade as consumers continue to worry about high prices, despite food inflation showing signs of easing.
In August the grocery sector received a trust score of +30 -on a scale of -100 to +100 -from British shoppers, a new study by Which? revealed today.
It is the lowest ranking since 2013, after horse DNA was found in products advertised as beef in British supermarkets.
At the start of the pandemic, shopper confidence was +68 when supermarkets were widely praised for ramping up online deliveries and remaining open.
But now, one in five said they do not trust the sector.
“When retailers declare that they have a great profit it shows that they aren’t doing what they claim of “helping the nation during a cost of living crisis,” one man told Which?.
It comes despite supermarket bosses telling parliament earlier this summer that they were not profiteering from price rises, after calls were made by politicians and the consumer watchdog to grill retailers’ on their seemingly high earnings.
Throughout the cost of living crisis a number of grocers have also ramped up loyalty card scheme so customers can get discounts on their shop.
“Month after month of soaring food prices has seen trust in supermarkets plummet to a 10-year low – comparable to the dark days of the horsemeat scandal,” Katie Alpin, head of Strategic Insight at Which? Said.
“The cost of the weekly shop is now on a par with energy bills as the biggest worry for millions of households.”