Consumers will continue to shop around for bargains
The data shows the frequency of total grocery shopping trips is at a relatively high level, but rather than just buying a few items, more shoppers claim to be doing their main shop more often in order to find the best bargains in the different supermarkets.
Morrisons launched a promotional campaign to grasp this opportunity. In February 2013, it launched a Payday Bonus saving scheme to help shoppers build rewards over the month to receive a £10 coupon in the week before pay day. It also extended this campaign to help shoppers save for Easter. Not just a one-off initiative, this promotion encourages shoppers to spend a minimum of £35 once a week for a three week period in order to collect a money-off coupon for their fourth shop. The campaign builds on the retailer’s credentials as shoppers’ ‘money-saving ally’ and plays an important role in driving loyalty and repeat purchases.
According to the report another trend is that shoppers are showing greater interest in products that last longer in a bid to reduce their food waste, and ultimately save money. For the industry, providing products that prevent waste and deliver better value for money could be a good way to attract shoppers and keep them coming back. Helping shoppers to save money while satisfying their ethical concerns, hits something of a sweet spot for many people.
Ocado is doing just this with its Life guarantee which promises to deliver its fresh products with a certain number of days’ life remaining. On its website it displays the specified number of days until expiry including the delivery day. In addition to this, the online retailer lists items on each of its customers’ receipts in order of expiry date. This guarantee gives its shoppers confidence that their groceries have a minimum life when delivered.
Most shoppers put together some kind of plan before going shopping, checking the cupboards and writing a list, but these days they will be more flexible and buy based on in-store promotions.
Tesco has an online ‘commuter zone’ on its grocery website to help shoppers plan their grocery shopping and food preparation by pulling together products and categorising them to reflect the working week. This section on the site shows the latest offers on tailored meal deals for different meal occasions. This not only helps shoppers with their planning efforts but also allows Tesco suggest promotions.