The current context of food inflation that is suffocating Spanish families financially, especially the most vulnerable, has made price a decisive factor in the purchasing decision-making process. However, there are some exceptions in which consumers prioritize other aspects over what a certain product costs.
This is extracted from the figures provided to EL MUNDO by the Association of Consumer Goods Companies included in the latest AECOC Shopperview study, which reveal that, in the case of fresh products, price is not the first reason for purchase. Nor is it in so-called ‘convenience purchases’.
Specifically, the study shows that, when purchasing fresh products, such as meat, fish, fruit and vegetables, the first reason for purchase for consumers is not the price but the appearance of the food. Thus, 79% of consumers cite appearance as a priority factor over cost, indicated by 76%.
Even so, from AECOC they point out that “the price has generated changes in the behavior of fresh consumers.” A reversal in consumption habits caused by the inflationary escalation that translates into 57% of consumers buying less quantity, 33% buying in bulk or cut to save and 23% buying products of less value.
In detail, according to the data collected in the study, in terms of meat, the price and type of meat are the first purchasing factors for 60% of consumers. Meanwhile, in the case of fish, 62% prioritize freshness, while 56% also cite price as a decisive factor in making a purchase.
Regarding convenience purchases, which are those that are made on impulse, whim or necessity, 48% prioritize the proximity of the store, well ahead of the price factor, which is important for 33% of those surveyed. “Even so, the importance of the price has also grown in this channel”, they indicate from AECOC.
“The shopping basket in this channel usually contains few products,” explains the head of studies at AECOC Shopperview, Marta Munné. In this sense, the study shows that the average shopping basket in convenience stores does not usually exceed six items and that 60% of consumers prefer to go to their usual store to make larger purchases. It also reflects that currently 46% of consumers shop frequently in this type of establishment, 21% more than in 2019.
The report also details some aspects in which price does have a priority influence, such as the purchase of new or innovative products, where price is the first “purchase brake” for 75% of consumers. As a second reason, the consumer cannot find products that meet their needs. Even so, 42% of consumers have added a new product to their last shopping cart, according to the study.
On the other hand, add health and sustainability. In the first case, among consumers who try to eat a healthy diet, 61% do not set aside the purchase of healthy products due to the price factor (they were close to 70% at the beginning of 2022). On the other hand, 42% of consumers take into account aspects related to sustainability in their purchase, despite the price factor (the percentage reached 50% at the beginning of 2022).
According to the criteria of The Trust Project