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Today's News |
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| Shoppeers Begin To Look On The Bright Side |
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 More shoppers have adapted to the new economic reality and believe the worst is behind them, according to research released by IGD ShopperVista.
Encouraged by falling inflation they are beginning to feel more optimistic about the future.
In January the monthly survey of over 1,000 food and grocery shoppers found:
• While nearly half of all shoppers (47%) still believe they will be worse off in the year ahead, this is down from 61% a year ago
• Four in ten (40%) now believe their personal economic situation will be “about the same” over the next twelve months, up from 29% a year ago
• The lowest numbers of shoppers to date expect food prices to get much more expensive over the next 12 months – 21%, down from 33% a year ago
Joanne Denney-Finch, chief executive, IGD, said: “While some of these changes are slight, they do represent a shift in shopper sentiment that should be widely welcomed.
“A growing number of shoppers seem to believe that the worst is behind them. They have adapted to the new economic reality and are aware that UK inflation may have peaked. Rising food, fuel and utility prices are the main factors that shoppers fear will make them worse off in the future, so good news in this area is helping improve shopper confidence.
“The economic environment remains challenging and we expect 2012 to be a rollercoaster ride for many shoppers. However, with more people becoming used to the way things are, they are focusing again on values, with 34% saying that quality is extremely important when choosing where to shop for food and groceries – the highest level for more than a year.” |
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| Item last updated: Tuesday January 31 2012 11:40 |
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| Shoppers Planning Their Supermarket Trips More |
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A lot more people are now planning before going out to do their food and grocery shopping, compared to three years ago, according to the latest IGD shopper research.
Nearly seven in ten shoppers (67%) plan most of their food and grocery shopping before they even get to a store, up from 47% in 2008.
Checking their cupboards, fridges or freezers is the most popular form of planning that people say they do.
And they have also increased their shopping frequency: with half of them (49%) making three or more trips a week to their supermarkets, compared to 39% in 2009.
Joanne Denney-Finch, chief executive, IGD, said: “Most of us are facing stagnant wage increases but rising costs, such as public transport or fuel prices. As a result, shoppers are investing more of their time in order to secure the best value when buying their food and groceries.
“They are trying to manage their budgets by making more supermarket trips, but aiming to buy only what they need. By making more frequent visits they are topping up when required and also hoping to secure the best promotions, stocking up when they see ones that appeal to them.
“People are also doing their main grocery shop less often as other forms of shopping, such as online or convenience stores, increase in popularity. Shoppers are also less inclined to do too many ‘big shops’ and instead, for example, wait for pay day to stock up.” |
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| Item last updated: Tuesday January 31 2012 11:40 |
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| Tesco Market Share Continues Fall While Iceland Sun Waxes |
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The latest grocery share figures from Kantar Worldpanel for the 12 weeks ending 22 January 2012, show Tesco dropping in market share while Iceland puts in its strongest performance in 10 years.
The grocery market is growing at 4.2% per year which remains below the food inflation rate as shoppers continue to seek value for money.
Edward Garner, director at Kantar Worldpanel, explains: “There were mixed fortunes among the big four supermarkets this month. The completion of the Netto conversion has led to an all-time record performance for Asda, lifting its share from 16.9% a year ago to 17.5% now. Sainsbury’s has also grown its share to 16.7%, consolidating its strongest hold of the market since March 2003.
“In contrast, there is considerable pressure on Tesco, with its growth rate of 2.1% only half the total market average. This has caused its share to fall by 0.6 percentage points.
“Iceland’s 2.1% share is at its highest for 10 years as shoppers continue to manage down their spending. With bids for the chain closing today, these figures are promising for potential buyers and show the importance of a good value-for-money message in today’s grocery market.”
Elsewhere, Aldi and Lidl continue their strong run, both increasing their shares to 3.5% and 2.5% respectively. However, the disappearance of Netto means that the size of the total discount sector is relatively unchanged at 6%.
Grocery inflation stands at 5.7%* for the 12 week period ending 22 January 2012. This is another decrease from the recent peak of 6.2% we reported for November last year and we expect to see further decreases during 2012. |
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| Item last updated: Tuesday January 31 2012 11:40 |
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