Promotions are a key influence on shoppers when deciding what they purchase in the run up to the festive period. Nearly three-quarters (73%) of people questioned in November said promotions are an important factor when choosing what food and groceries to buy. That compared with 67% of those survey the previous month.

Shoppers with pre-school children particularly valued promotions. 84% of shoppers with children under five rated promotions as very important when choosing between products

Feeling the squeeze

Joanne Denney-Finch, chief executive, IGD, said: “People are feeling the squeeze from a series of pressures, such as higher utility bills. Despite this, shoppers are still interested in maintaining the quality of their food and groceries. They are prepared to give up more time to secure the best value: four in 10 shoppers (40%) say they will put greater effort into their grocery shopping over the next six months.”

Innovation and attention to detail were the keys to sales success, she added. “For example, eBay recently opened a ‘pop-up’ store where products were tagged with quick response (QR) codes allowing shoppers to use their smart phones to scan the products, buy them online and have them delivered.”

Also a one-size-fits all approach will not work. “As shoppers are watching every pound they spend, it is also crucial to get the basics right, such as tailoring the customer experience at a local level.”