75 per cent of consumers have adjusted their purchasing habits as a result of inflation

Rotterdam, 9 September 2023

Key findings

• 75 per cent of consumers have changed their purchasing behaviour as a result of price increases. Consumers indicate that they buy cheaper products, choose offers more often and visit multiple supermarkets.
• Nearly one in ten customers using self-checkout find out at home that they have not scanned a product. 2 per cent admit to doing so on purpose from time to time.
• The percentage of respondents who rate the CSR policy of their current physical supermarket as (very) good has dropped significantly from 42 per cent in 2022 to 37 per cent now and the percentage who do not consider this important has risen from 32 per cent to 38 per cent.
• 68 per cent of respondents use a supermarket app. The app is mainly used to look up offers and save loyalty points. Consumers have very little interest in apps that help them make healthier, more sustainable or budget choices.

Rotterdam (September 12, 2023) - More and more consumers are paying attention to offers in the supermarket when doing their weekly shopping. In 2023, 44 per cent uses a digital promotion folder at least once a week for their weekly shopping, compared to 40 per cent in 2022. Nearly a quarter of Dutch consumers (23 per cent) indicate that an attractive offer is a sufficient reason to visit a different supermarket than usual. This is evident from the latest edition of the Deloitte Supermarkets Consumer Survey.

A vast majority of Dutch consumers (89 per cent) say they are concerned about rising food prices (2022: 88 per cent). The group of consumers who have adjusted their own buying behaviour because of these concerns has grown substantially in 2023. Three-quarters of consumers have adjusted their buying habits, compared to 67 per cent in 2022.

Price increases change buying behaviour

To cope with rising food prices, consumers are more likely to opt for cheaper products at the current supermarket (49 per cent) or products that are on offer (46 per cent). A quarter of consumers who have changed their purchasing behaviour because of the price increases visit several supermarkets for their weekly shopping. Six per cent buy food (more often) across the border (Germany or Belgium).

"It is important that supermarkets continue to invest in the affordability and quality of the assortment and that they are transparent about this," says Adgild Hop, retail market lead at Deloitte. "Consumer confidence has been under pressure for some time now. The research shows that consumers attach more value to a wide choice of high-quality private label products than the availability of premium brands and luxury products."

Checks during self-checkout are fine, but only for other customers

The use of self-checkout services in supermarkets is on the rise. Eight in ten consumers (81 per cent) now use self-checkout services, up from 74 per cent in 2022. Consumers who do not use self-checkout services indicate that they would rather have contact with a cashier (51 per cent) or pay in cash (38 per cent).

A vast majority of consumers (91 per cent) say they are okay with checks being carried out on self-checkouts. But 20 per cent do find it annoying when they are checked themselves. About two-thirds of consumers think that others sometimes forget to scan products (66 per cent) or deliberately do not scan products (68 per cent). Fifteen per cent feel that they are checked every time they use self-checkout.

Another striking result of the survey is that 16 per cent of respondents do understand customers who steal bread, vegetables or fruit, for example, if they cannot afford it due to poverty.

Sustainability remains important, but action is lacking

The importance that consumers attach to sustainability is increasing compared to previous years. Consumers consider the extent to which the product is good for their own health (74 per cent), the degree of animal suffering (71 per cent), the degree of exploitation of people (69 per cent) and the use of pesticides (68 per cent) important. The amount of water used in production and transport is (very) important to 46 per cent of consumers (2022: 38 per cent).

The percentage of respondents who rate the CSR policy of their current brick-and-mortar supermarket as (very) good has dropped considerably from 42 per cent in 2022 to 37 per cent this year.

Little interest in apps that help consumers decide

68 per cent of respondents use a supermarket app. The app is mainly used to look up offers and save loyalty points. Respondents seem to have little or no interest in apps that can help them make healthier, more sustainable or cost-saving choices in the supermarket. 59 per cent have little or no interest in apps that support them in making healthy choices. 52 per cent are not keen on apps that help them make budget-friendly choices. Despite the fact that consumers indicate that sustainability is important, 57 per cent have little or no interest in apps that help them make more sustainable choices.

In addition, according to the respondents, (online) supermarkets must implement sustainable improvements, such as less (plastic) packaging. The option to buy packaging-free appeals to consumers the most (28 per cent). This percentage is slightly lower than a year earlier (31 per cent).

Research accountability

Commissioned by Deloitte Netherlands, Flycatcher conducts an annual survey with the aim of gaining insight into consumer trends in the supermarket. Specific attention is paid to trends within the product range, spending, industry blurring, future of food, innovation and developments, such as self-checkout technology, online ordering and ready-to-eat products. In addition, this year attention was paid to the Super Supermarket Quality Mark (SSK). A total of 2,345 respondents aged 18 and over, who regularly visit a supermarket, participated in the survey.

Want to gain more insight into what motivates consumers worldwide? Take a look at the Deloitte Global Consumer tracker.