A study for Checkout magazine by Behaviour & Attitudes has found that Irish consumers are still resistant to 'trading up' in most grocery categories, except when it comes to Baby Products.
The survey of 508 consumers found that 30% were more likely to trade up (i.e. buy more expensive product than in the past) when purchasing Baby Formula, with just 2% saying they are more likely to trade down in the category. 68% said they are likely to spend the same on Baby Formula as in the past.
In addition, 15% of respondents said they were more likely to trade up when it came to Baby Foods, compared to 12% that said they were likely to trade down. The majority (73%) said that their spending was likely to remain the same.
The two categories were the only ones in which consumers were more likely to trade up, than trade down.
In Fresh Fruit & Veg, for example, 35% of consumers said that they were more likely to 'trade down' than in previous years, compare to just 6% that are willing to 'trade up'.
In Fresh Meat, 31% said that they were more likely to 'trade down', compared to 5% that were more willing to 'trade up'.
Categories in which 'trading down' was most evident included Toilet Tissue (57% 'trade down', 1% 'trade up'), Biscuits (63% 'trade down', 3% 'trade up') and Household Products (67% 'trade down', 1% 'trade up).
© 2014 - Checkout Magazine by Stephen Wynne-Jones
