Price plays an important role on the supermarket shelf, especially in times of high inflation. A survey shows that consumers’ awareness of quality is not affected by this. Quite the opposite.
Good value for money, a wide selection and high quality: these are the most important criteria for consumers when shopping for groceries. This is the result of a study published by the German Retail Association (HDE) and the Cologne-based retail research institute IFH. This is based on a representative survey of around 1,500 people.
The result: Consumers’ awareness of quality has recently increased. Almost 87 percent of respondents expect very good product quality from a grocery store. This is more than a few years ago, when agreement with this statement was lower in 2018 (84.2) and 2015 (74.5). More than 79 percent of consumers do not want to shop in a store if the quality does not meet their expectations.
Prices also play a major role when buying food. One in two people are heavily influenced by them. According to the survey, price is particularly important for long-life foods. Almost 59 percent of consumers say that they pay particular attention to price in this range. Frozen products (57.8), drugstore goods (57.4) and sweets and snacks (54.7) are also mentioned more frequently. Price is less important for vegetables, alcoholic beverages (48.4 each) and fresh baked goods (44.8).
Popularity of private labels increased
High inflation and rising prices have recently had a negative impact on consumer sentiment. Many consumers have therefore saved money when shopping in the supermarket. As a result, own-brand and private label products, which are often offered at a slightly lower price, have become more important. More than 85 percent think it is good when grocery stores also offer own brands. In a survey conducted in 2018, only just under three quarters agreed with this.
Awareness of sustainable consumption has also increased in recent years. More and more people are buying organic products when doing their weekly shopping, mostly at supermarkets (66.7 percent) and discounters (57.9 percent). According to the survey, one in two people buy organic products more often because grocery stores have expanded their product range.
When it comes to grocery shopping, supermarkets are slightly more popular with consumers. 83.8 percent shop there most of the time, 83 percent at discounters. This is followed by drugstores (55.9), large hypermarkets (49.4), specialist food stores (48), weekly markets (23.6) and organic supermarkets/health food stores (20.4).
Source: Stern
