New research on UK grocery shopping has revealed a deepening divide between price-pressured and affluent consumers, with 47% having switched to discounters, while 91% of households bringing in over £125k shop more at premium stores, according to a survey from grocery tech company, Pricer.
Its research, based on a survey of 1,000 UK grocery shoppers, shows cost of living pressures have made price vigilance mainstream. Nearly eight in ten shoppers (78%) say they’re more price conscious than a year ago, while 74% actively seek discounts and promotions.
Almost half (47%) say they’ve switched from their usual supermarket to a discounter, with switching heavily concentrated among younger and lower-income shoppers.
At the same time, the study reveals a sharply contrasting trend at the top end of the market. Premium grocery formats are seeing strong growth among affluent households, with 91% of shoppers earning £125k+ reporting they now shop more at premium or upmarket supermarkets.
”Retailers are now serving two very different shopper mindsets at the same time…”
“This is no longer a single grocery market moving in one direction,” said Finn Wikander (below left) from Pricer. “Retailers are now serving two very different shopper mindsets at the same time, one focused on affordability and survival, the other on quality, transparency and convenience.”
Discount reliance dominates the price-pressured majority, and younger shoppers and lower-income households are leading the shift. More than half of Gen Z shoppers (56%) have switched to discounters, while 36% of all shoppers say they now buy mostly discounted products. Trading down is widespread, with 56% having switched from branded to own-label products, rising to 72% among the lowest income groups.
Interestingly, store-switching has become the norm rather than the exception. Nearly two-thirds of shoppers (63%) now shop at multiple grocery stores to secure better prices, and 57% split their shop between traditional supermarkets and discounters.
Younger shoppers are also more likely to shop later in the day to capture markdowns, reinforcing how price sensitivity is shaping behaviour at the shelf.
Wikander concluded: “The findings underline a growing strategic challenge for grocery retailers. Protecting affordability for the price-pressured majority is essential to maintaining volume and trust, while meeting the expectations of affluent shoppers is increasingly critical to margin, loyalty and growth.”
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