New research from industry analyst IGD has revealed that the number of shoppers claiming to go to discount stores such as Aldi and Lidl has soared the past 12 months, and is set to increase further.
According to the group, which surveyed 1,000 shoppers over a month-long period, some 46 per cent of respondents claimed that they would use discount food outlets more in the future if there was a store near their workplace or home.
Just over a quarter of shoppers, or 26 per cent, said that they would use discount stores for their main grocery shopping trip, while 5 per cent claimed to use discounters for their main grocery shopping, climbing from 3 per cent in September last year.
IGD's survey showed that 32 per cent of shoppers thought that food would be 'much more expensive' over the next 12 months, compared with 25 per cent last year, while younger shoppers and those with teenage children were more likely to use discounters.
'Discounters still account for a very small proportion of the market overall,' noted Joanne Denney-Finch, chief executive of IGD. 'But they might be expected to do well during an economic downturn, with 60 per cent of shoppers telling us that they will use them more if their personal economic circumstances get worse.
'Shoppers also say that perceptions of discounters have changed over the years, with 81 per cent of regular food shoppers believing that the quality of products has improved,' she added.
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