Discounters are proving to be a growing force in the top-up shopping market, according to HIM’s Discounter Tracking Programme 2013.

The study says that as many as 46% of UK adults are intending to use discounters more for top-up shopping in the next 12 months, higher than in any other channel. Overall, a higher percentage of UK shoppers say they will visit a discounter to top up than a convenience store.

Shopper satisfaction measures at discounters have improved across the board since last year, with roughly four in five shoppers saying that they like using hard discounter stores, and that they are considered quick and easy to shop.  Nearly 40% of shoppers think discounters have better ease of shop and speed of service than supermarkets, and 76% of discounter shoppers said visiting the outlets saved time compared with going to supermarkets.

Discounters are particularly successful in attracting family-oriented shoppers, with a higher proportion than the UK average having two or more children. Key shoppers of discounters are “at home mums” (20%) as well as “retired greys” (20%).

Predictably, cheap prices is the biggest driver to store (67%) for value and fixed price discounter shoppers and non-food is the biggest category driver.  Shoppers buy the largest proportion of their household category needs from value and fixed priced discounters, with 20% of shoppers saying that this is a universal driver to store.

The study spoke to over 2,600 shoppers at eight leading hard and fixed price discounter fascias in March and April.