More than 80% of shoppers worried about 'shrinkflation' supermarkets

Tuesday, July 11, 2023

A fifth of shoppers are concerned that supermarkets are 'shrinkflation' and looking to ditch their favourite brands, according to a survey.

Some 81 per cent of consumers said they were worried about purchasing smaller items at original costs, with 29 per cent buying their favourite product less often than a treat and 18 per cent switching to brands that haven't changed in size, Barclays said.

During June, 70 per cent of Brits noticed signs of a contraction, while in May it was 65 per cent, focusing mostly on buying chocolate (46 per cent), chips (42 per cent), wraps of cookies (37 per cent) and snack bars (32 per cent).

Shoppers also reported some shortages for certain products in the grocery stores; 37% noticed that some staples, such as eggs, fresh produce and preserves, were regularly unavailable.

A fifth (20%) believed there would be less new items on shelves.

Spending on food grew 9.5% year-on-year for in June, the highest increase in that category for two years, albeit still below food inflation at 18.4%.

Some 67% of shoppers said they tried to cut down on the cost of their weekly shop, with 32% shopping at several supermarkets to find deals, and 39% buying additional items with the yellow label.

 

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