Shoppers flirt with rival supermarkets as recession kills off brand loyalty
Increasingly penny-savvy shoppers are electing to ditch their favourite stores in favour of rivals offering keener deals, as the lingering aftermath of recession kills off the last vestiges of brand loyalty in the retail sector – according to retail monitoring group IGD.
The survey found that the typical shopper now jumps between four different supermarkets to stock up their kitchen with the proportion of people using more than one store on a single trip rising from 42 to 47 per cent.
Discount grocers such as Aldi and Lidl have led these changes as they attract increasing numbers of shoppers from the established ‘big four’ chains; Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons.
Commenting on the changing shopping patterns IGD chief executive Joanne Denney-Finch, said: “While the UK economy continues to improve and some shoppers tell us they’re feeling better-off, savvy shopping techniques picked up during the recession have become mainstream.”