UAE | General
Shoppers refuse to sacrifice on costs as soaring inflation hits store shelves
Series of online polls conducted by Gulf News show most prefer to plan what to buy.
- By Anupa Kurian, Readers Editor
- Published: 00:31 August 13, 2008
- Image Credit:
- Managing weekly budgets is often a source of stress for middle-income families. Picture is for illustrative purposes.
Dubai: Jude Jeffrey Xavier goes shopping every day. It's not that the 42-year-old father is a compulsive shopper - he simply likes fresh produce and is willing to trek to the stores after work each day to find it.
Fresh food is highly important to the Sharjah resident, his wife and two children. "We like fresh produce, be it vegetables, milk or bread, so I shop daily on my way back home from work," Xavier says.
According to a series of polls conducted on gulfnews.com over a recent five-day period, a quarter of shoppers surveyed said they want fresh food and refuse to compromise.
According to the polls, 27 per cent opted for fresh local produce, while only 8 per cent shopped purely for brand-name items. The daily shopping trips are also the result of more planning with his family.
A surprising 65 per cent of respondents also said they now carry a shopping list. This simple act reflects a growing trend that has developed over the past year: as soaring food prices and inflation hit the store shelves, consumers are spending more time planning what to buy.
"I read the labels carefully and decide accordingly," the 42-year-old sales manager says. "Recently, I was buying tomato ketchup and there were several options, one of which was very low in cost." With five- and seven-year-old sons, their fussy tastebuds are the deciding factor. "Ninety-five per cent of the time I am guided by their taste and palate," Xavier says.
Critical factors
That's not to say that the children's tastes or quality are the over-riding factors for most. When we shop, we're spending more time in the aisles comparing prices. One third of those polled - 34 per cent - said that they fall into that category.
And 28 per cent said they spend time purposely looking for special offers and discounts.
But despite the rising prices, most consumers refuse to sacrifice or cut back on quality. When asked, 64 per cent said they would not compromise. When it comes to the checkout, the vast majority - 74 per cent - pay cash for our shopping, which also reflects a growing trend towards planning and budgeting.
So what does all this mean for business?
For financial institutions looking to promote plastic money, they'll need to try harder: We like shopping with cash. For hypermarkets, the winning combination seems to be a focus on offering discounts and low-cost deals as quality local produce.
And the ketchup? Naturally, the children win - 100 per cent of the time!
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