Savvy shoppers visiting several supermarkets in one trip to save money

The days of doing a big grocery shop in one location may one day become a thing of the past, according to recent research in the UK from food and grocery research and training charity IGD, with more consumers visiting several locations on the same trip to make best use of coupons and get the best value for money.

by Helen Leggatt

IGD's 'ShopperVista' research found that nearly half (47%) of shoppers in the UK now visit several grocery stores on the same shopping trip. That's up from 42% a year ago.

"It is part of the trend of shoppers being prepared to put in more effort when buying their food and groceries to help them get the best quality, at the best value," says IGD.

Today's savvy shoppers are visiting several locations during one grocery shopping trip as a result of better planning (46%) and so they can use coupons (55%), found the research conducted in May, 2014, among 1,000 shoppers.

Furthermore, despite the country's economy showing signs of improving and many shoppers feeling better off, they continue to put in a lot more effort to ensure they get the best value for money. More than 4 in 10 say they go shopping at a specific time to make the most of the cost savings to be had by visiting the 'reduced to clear' section.

"Using two or more grocery stores on the same trip is an increasingly popular budgeting technique used by shoppers regardless of their demographics," says Joanne Denney-Finch, IGD chief executive. "Shoppers tell us that they're proud to talk about the savings they are achieving by researching and shopping around more."

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Tags: consumer study, coupons, grocery shopping, shopping trends, supermarket trends