Discount retailers benefit from changing shopping habits

DISCOUNT RETAILERS Lidl and Aldi have benefited most from a recent shift in Irish grocery shopping habits, according to a survey from the National Consumer Agency (NCA).

The survey was carried out at the end of last month and found that almost a third of Irish consumers had changed their grocery shopping habits since the beginning of the year.

More than a quarter of respondents said they were now spreading their weekly grocery spend over different supermarkets, while 32 per cent had switched to own-brand products.

Aldi and Lidl have been the main beneficiaries of the changing trend, with 61 per cent of consumers who have started shopping around opting to do at least some of their weekly shop in Lidl, with 54 per cent favouring Aldi.

Ann Fitzgerald, the chief executive of the NCA, said she was “delighted to hear that Irish consumers have started spreading their grocery spend across different stores”.

She said the agency’s recent cross-Border survey had shown that a basket of branded goods cost 30 per cent more in the Republic than in the North.

Ms Fitzgerald attributed better value in own-brand products to “the presence of discounters like Aldi and Lidl in the market”.

She noted that following three price surveys carried out by the NCA since the end of last year, most adults were now aware of the substantial price differentials that existed between discounters and the more established supermarket chains.

An “informed consumer is an empowered consumer, and using the information from grocery price surveys, shoppers can drive competition in the grocery sector by spreading their spend”, she said.

Despite the shift in spending patterns, most people still say convenience is the most important factor when it comes to choosing a supermarket, with 61 per cent citing it as the reason for their shopping choices. Some 31 per cent said price was the determining factor, while 21 per cent of people polled said quality was the most important factor.

The study was carried out on behalf of the NCA by Amárach Research at the end of June, and involved 1,000 people.