The rising prices ensure that Germans take a closer look at what they buy in everyday life. A survey shows how shopping behavior is changing – and which products consumers are avoiding.
Shopping has become expensive – inflation was also high in February at 8.7 percent. According to the Federal Statistical Office, groceries were even around 22 percent more expensive than a year earlier. This is forcing many consumers to adjust their shopping behavior and look for ways to save.
The shopping list app Bring asked 2,700 users how they adjust their shopping behavior. The survey is not representative of the population, but reflects the attitudes of consumers who deal with the topic of shopping in such a way that they use an app to do so. In addition, almost three out of four respondents were women. Nevertheless, the results are interesting for everyone.
For the users of the bring app, the question of price has become even more difficult in recent months. 76 percent of those surveyed currently pay a lot of attention to the prices of the products they buy. That is another 11 percentage points more than in a previous survey in August 2022. Another 17 percent pay some attention to the prices, only 7 percent do not look at them at all.
Shopping: changing behavior
The respondents are reacting to the current situation with changes in their shopping and consumer behavior. The two most frequently mentioned strategies: 74 percent plan their purchases more carefully and just as many buy more own brands. 72 percent also stated that they buy more in stock when something is on sale and 63 percent regularly study offers and promotions before making a purchase. In addition, more than every second person now goes to the discount store rather than to the supermarket, while only one in three shops less often.
Those surveyed see the greatest personal savings potential in clothing and shoes: 62 percent are currently trying to save money here, women even more so than men. But many also want to save on furniture (43 percent) and electrical appliances (40 percent). Only then do groceries follow with 36 percent and travel (35 percent).
Save on sweets and meat
When asked which foods they save the most on, snacks and sweets are mentioned most frequently (52 percent), followed by meat and fish (42 percent) and ready-made and frozen products (38 percent). In fruit and vegetables, on the other hand, only 15 percent of the survey participants save.
The current results of the Bring survey match data recently collected by the market research institute GfK. According to the GfK study, many Germans are buying fewer sweets and fish and meat products because of rising prices, and there is also less demand for alcoholic beverages and cosmetics. In addition, every second respondent stated that they would buy more of their own brands or discounter brands.
Source: Stern
