Highlights
Rotterdam, 02 oktober 2024
Eighty-three per cent of consumers are concerned about rising food prices, a slight decrease from 2023 (89 per cent). Of those who are concerned, 74 per cent have adjusted their purchasing behaviour by opting for cheaper products or those on special offer. According to consumers, the tobacco ban in supermarkets does not contribute to quitting smoking instead, consumers turn to tobacco shops and purchase abroad. There has been a significant increase (+186 per cent) in the number of consumers who occasionally buy their tobacco products abroad. Consumers report that in 80 per cent of the cases where a product is not scanned at the self-checkout, it is an innocent mistake. This is evident from the latest edition of the Deloitte Supermarkets Consumer Survey, which aims to provide annual insight into consumer trends in supermarkets.
"Even though the significant price increases in supermarkets seem to be behind us, the cost of food remains a concern for many," says Adgild Hop, retail market lead at Deloitte. Consumers who have previously adjusted their purchasing behaviours are unlikely to do so again. The increase in consumers buying food abroad is notable.
Supermarkets really have to come up with new ways to win over the consumer."
The number of consumers who sometimes shop online has risen by 10 per cent to about 22 per cent. At the same time, there was a slight decrease of 2.5 per cent in the number of consumers who exclusively shop in-store. Consumers who shop both in-store and online now purchase almost half of their groceries (47 per cent) online.
Seventy-three per cent of respondents use a supermarket app, up from 68 per cent in 2023. Only 10 per cent use the supermarket app to order groceries. The app is primarily used to look up offers (49 per cent) and collect loyalty points (43 per cent).
Adgild Hop adds: "In the future retail model, where profit is not only derived from product sales but also from (digital) advertisements based on customer data, the strategic importance of a supermarket app for understanding and connecting with customers will only grow."
Not a single respondent indicates having quit smoking due to the sales ban in supermarkets. However, purchasing tobacco abroad has significantly increased, from 14 per cent in 2023 to 40 per cent in 2024, an increase of 186 per cent. Since the tobacco sales ban in supermarkets on 1 July 2024, more than half (57 per cent) of these consumers now obtain their tobacco products from a specialised tobacco shop, compared to 46 per cent in 2023.
The number of consumers who believe there should be a ban on alcohol sales (including wine and beer) in supermarkets has increased by 25 per cent (15 per cent 2024 vs 12 per cent in 2022). Thirty-five per cent think that alcohol sales should take place in designated areas within supermarkets.
Seventy-six per cent of consumers occasionally use the self-checkout, an increase of about 10 per cent compared to last year. Of those who prefer not to self-scan, 53 per cent prefer interaction with a cashier, while 39 per cent prefer to pay in cash. Among consumers who never self-scan, 17 per cent are afraid of forgetting to scan an item. This percentage has slightly increased from last year, when it was 14 per cent.
Ninety per cent of consumers support checks at self-checkouts, but 18 per cent find it annoying when they themselves are checked. Fifty-nine per cent of consumers think that others sometimes forget to scan products or intentionally do not scan products (64 per cent). Consumers indicate that in 80 per cent of cases where a product is not scanned at the self-checkout, it is an innocent mistake.
Soft drinks and laundry/cleaning products are the most purchased items online. Fifty-six per cent of respondents who shop online do so at Albert Heijn, with 94 per cent of this group preferring home delivery. Respondents who shop both in-store and online mostly visit Albert Heijn (79 per cent), Lidl (58 per cent), and Jumbo (56 per cent) for in-store shopping. This may partly explain why 30 per cent of consumers now occasionally buy groceries from Amazon or Bol.com.
The importance consumers attach to sustainability has increased compared to previous years. Consumers consider the extent to which the product is good for their own health (75 per cent), the degree of animal suffering (70 per cent), the exploitation of people, and the use of pesticides (both 68 per cent) important. Consumers mainly rely on their own knowledge about how healthy a product is (66 per cent).
Dutch consumers still consider sustainability important. However, there has been a 14 per cent increase (since 2022) in consumers who do not consider the level of corporate social responsibility of the supermarket.
There is also a 27 per cent increase since 2022 in consumers who are not interested in packaging-free products. This trend may be related to the ongoing concerns consumers have about food costs, as well as partially changing political sentiment.
What remains important to consumers is their own health. We see a 12 per cent increase since 2022 in consumers who consider the nutriscore of a product important, and a 25 per cent increase in the use of the nutriscore for determining a product's healthiness.
Thirty-three per cent of consumers are eating less meat this year than in previous years, and 34 per cent have started eating more meat substitutes this year (versus 40 per cent last year). Twenty-six per cent plan to eat less meat next year than this year.
Commissioned by Deloitte Netherlands, Flycatcher conducts an annual survey aimed at gaining insights into consumer trends in supermarkets. The research specifically focuses on trends within the assortment, spending, industry blurring, the future of food, innovation and developments such as self-checkout technology, online ordering, and ready-to-eat products. Additionally, since last year, attention has been given to the Super Supermarket Quality Mark (SSK). A total of 2,261 respondents aged 18 and over, who regularly visit a supermarket, participated in the survey.
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