Shopping becomes military exercise as consumers stake out best bargains

Consumers are planning their shopping trips with military precision and are determined to get the best value, research from Bord Bia has found.

The study of 6,833 shopping trips from 658 households in June found that almost half split their main shopping between a number of stores to get the best offers. Price wars between supermarkets on products such as alcohol, meat or nappies encouraged “offer swooping . . . so much so that in some households there is a weekly routine of checking the flyers and newspaper ads before planning their supermarket trips”, the research by Behaviour and Attitudes found.

In the past, some people were embarrassed to be seen with Lidl or Aldi shopping bags, but there is now evidence some people claim they use these shops more than they do.

Such discounters are now “a key component of grocery shopping in many households”. Shoppers spoke about the fresh bread in Lidl while Aldi was chosen for its cheap vegetables and Irish meat. The study also found brands had been damaged in this supermarket warfare. Some 62 per cent of those surveyed said they had found the quality of private-label food and drink products to be as good as, if not better than, leading brands.

Despite the military-like planning, the research also found 68 per cent spent more on grocery shopping than they had planned to.

Dubliners were more likely to overspend than their country cousins; and women were more likely to feel guilty afterwards.