Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ 2024 budget lands a harsh blow to small businesses already grappling with weakened consumer spending and razor-thin margins. The bigger-than-expected hike in the National Living Wage, coupled with increased National Insurance Contributions, has left many independent retailers reeling, finds Asian Trader.
For countless small business owners, this budget means making painful decisions like scaling back investments, slashing operating hours, and reducing staff simply to stay afloat, pushing the businesses into survival mode. This budget, touted as the most damaging in recent memory, could force countless high-street shops to shutter, leaving communities without the essential services they’ve come to rely on from their local convenience stores.
Across the UK’s 50,000 convenience stores, the impact will be felt differently. While business rate relief and the increased employment allowance will mitigate costs for smaller independent stores, no help is in sight for chains and larger independent businesses.
Among the key measures announced by Reeves that directly impact local stores are an increase in National Living Wage to £12.21 per hour and increase in National Minimum Wage (18-20 rate) to £10 per hour. The two are collectively expected to cost £513 million extra to the convenience sector next year, according to convenience store body Association of Convenience Stores (ACS).
Additionally, Employers’ National Insurance Contributions will rise by 15 per cent, the threshold for Employers’ National Insurance contributions to fall to £5,000 per year and Employment Allowance to rise to £10,500 a year. The collective cost to the convenience sector next year is estimated by ACS at £397m (increase of £85m).
Strongly condemning the budget, retailers' body British Independent Retailers Association (BIRA) called Reeves’ budget as the “most damaging for independent retailers in recent memory”, with a triple blow of doubled business rates, increased National Insurance, and higher minimum wage costs threatening widespread high street closures.
Andrew Goodacre, CEO of Bira, said that the government's actions show complete disregard for the thousands of hard-working shop owners who form the backbone of our high streets.
"Small retailers, who have already endured years of challenging trading conditions, now face a perfect storm of crippling cost increases. Their business rates will more than double as relief drops from 75% to 40%, while they're hit simultaneously with employer National Insurance rising to 15% and a lower threshold of £5,000, down from £9,100. Add to this the minimum wage increase to £12.21, and many of our members are telling us they simply cannot survive this onslaught.
"One member has already calculated these changes will increase their cost base by £150,000 next year alone," he said.
Goodacre added, "For all the government's rhetoric about supporting small businesses and revitalising high streets, their actions do precisely the opposite. These punishing measures will force many shop owners to make heart-breaking decisions about their businesses' future.
"What makes this particularly bitter is that these are family businesses, often built up over generations, run by people who work incredibly long hours to serve their communities. They're now being asked to shoulder an impossible burden while trying to compete with online giants who face none of these cost pressures."
Back breaking burden
Echoing BIRA's opinion, retailer Fiona Malone expressed her unhappiness and concern with Asian Trader, saying "Budget was kind of disappointing.
"We've worked it all out, including the minimum wage going up and the National Insurance contributions. It's probably going to cost us about £23,000 extra a year. And that is obviously concerning when margins are getting tighter and tighter each day.”
Vince and Fiona Malone run Tenby Stores and Post Office in a coastal town in South West Wales. The last bank in the town (HSBC) closed in August, leaving this coastal town residents (5,500 residents in winter and close to 65,000 in summer) completely dependent on their post office for banking needs.
Fiona and Vince Malone
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She said, “We are the only bank in town and one of the few convenience shops and we feel that the government aren't recognizing what valuable service we offer to the community.
"All banks have left town and we're picking up the slack, but we're not getting any support from the government. We don't expect to make millions but we are able to make sure we can pay all of our bills and make sure that we're making a profit. And at the moment it's looking kind of quite bleak for us and for many small businesses.”
The Malone couple was planning to invest some amount to revamp their store. However, the couple has now halted their investment plan, she said, as it feels it is “not going to be worth it” and there is a sense of uncertainty.
"I can probably easily get a job in the private sector and work Monday to Friday. We don't do that because we really enjoy working in our community and we love what we do. Unless there's some relief coming, it's just not going to be viable for lots of businesses to survive,” she added.
Echoing Fiona's concern, retailer Mo Razzaq, also the National President of the Federation of Independent Retailers (the Fed), said, “As responsible employers we want to ensure we are paying a fair wage to our staff. But a bigger than expected rise to the national living wage to £12.21 an hour from April 2025 is a step too far for hard-pressed small businesses.
“As well as paying our staff more in wages, we must pay more in national insurance and pension costs, at a time when many of our other costs, including energy costs, are rising. There is no easy way for small retailers to combat these increases. As so many of the products that convenience store owners are price marked, we cannot pass these costs onto our customers.
“The only solution available to independent shop owners is to reduce staff hours and staff numbers and, somehow, take on even more hours ourselves.”
Clearly, the budget has hit retailers hard, with the odds now stacked firmly against growth and investment in the short term. These new costs also risk increasing the prices customers pay at the till.
As retailers are bracing for the impact of new costs in 2025, improvements to the business rates system will not come until 2026.
In the words of Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive of the BRC, said, there remains many unanswered questions about the new charges and discounts that will be levied from 2026.
“With retailers paying over 21 per cent of all business rates in the economy, the solution is not to simply shift the burden around the industry, but to look outside retail. Without action to address the disproportionate impact of business rates on retail, the Government’s plan is simply robbing Peter to pay Paul.”
Crackdown on crime
Cracking down on the crippling shoplifting epidemic, Reeves said in her budget speech that the government will scrap the existing threshold that deems stolen goods under £200 as “low value", thereby reversing an act introduced in 2014 that means a person charged with stealing goods worth less than that sum faces less serious punishment.
Reeves also vowed to boost training for police officers and retailers to tackle retail crime.
“I am providing additional funding to crack down on the organized gangs which target retailers and to provide more training to our police officers and retailers to top shoplifting in its tracks,” she said.
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Reeves’ acknowledgment of the shoplifting crippling retail and removal of threshold value is being widely welcomed by retailers though calls are being raised to introduce some concrete actions.
Fiona, whose store has been no outlier in wave of crime, said, “I welcome the shoplifting measures but again, there are lots of talk about it, but still no practical steps taken yet.
"Currently, we have five open shoplifting cases (including a violent one) and we're still waiting for outcome from the local police, still chasing them for the resolution and closure."
Summing the convenience retailers’ sentiment, ACS Chief Executive James Lowman said, “The Chancellor’s commitment to tackling shop theft will be warmly welcomed by our members, but they are interested only in action and in crime against their stores and their colleagues being tackled effectively.”
Please listen
Putting duty up by 10 per cent on hand rolling tobacco, a flat rate duty on all vaping liquids, a one-off increase in tobacco duty and increases on alcohol duty rates on non-draught products in line with RPI are some of the additional measures announced by the Chancellor in the Budget speech.
However, some of these measures are expected to backfire.
Razzaq said, “When tobacco prices rise, more smokers are lured to the illicit market which damages the business of legitimate retailers and damages communities. The government needs to do more to tackle the illicit market to better protect the livelihoods of members who legitimately sell tobacco.”
Convenience retailers continue to serve as the lifeline in communities and have proven to be a blessing during testing times like Covid-19 lockdown. However, they continue to be unsupported, and many are now struggling to survive.
Razzaq said, “Small businesses play a vital contribution to their communities and to the economy, but with the cost of doing business soaring, many Fed members are struggling to stay in business. It is crucial that they are supported, so going forward, the government must put our concerns and our issues at the top of its agenda.”
Calling the budget "anti-high street" Goodacre stated that the government is seemingly happy for working people to shop online and buy cheap imports, adding "this government has shown complete disregard for the local businesses that create jobs and maintain vibrant communities."
Voicing the concern of convenience channel, Fiona said, “Tescos and Sainsbury’s can survive no matter what gets thrown at them. But they don't provide the level of service that a store like ours do.
“I am very unhappy and concerned after the budget announcements. I am concerned how badly it is going to impact the small businesses and then how are the local communities going to cope, if some of them close down or reduce operation? Because if things get even tighter, I can just see a lot of businesses contracting their hours to cut down their costs.
"Unless there's some relief coming, it's just not going to be viable for lots of businesses to survive. I hope someone in the government listens to us and tries to understand our problems as well as support us, recognising our true value.”
Clearly, without immediate relief, the government risks undermining the heartbeat of local communities, leaving independent retailers as well as the essential services they provide on the brink of collapse.
The Justice and Home Affairs Committee today (5) published a letter to the Minister for Policing, Crime and Fire Prevention, Dame Diana Johnson MP, highlighting how unacceptable levels of shop theft is causing serious harm to society.
After conducting an inquiry into retail crime, the committee finds that shop theft is an underreported crime that is not being effectively tackled, leading to a devastating impact on the retail sector and the wider economy. The Committee heard that there are almost 17 million incidents of shop theft annually, with few leading to an arrest and costing the retail sector almost £2 billion last year.
The nature of the offence has evolved from individualised offending to relentless, large-scale, organised operations accompanied by unprecedented levels of violence. Shop theft is now seen as a lucrative profit-making opportunity which is being exploited by organised criminal networks.
Pointing out that there is a widespread perception that shop theft is not treated seriously by the police, the Committee recognises the need for quicker reporting systems, better data collection and intelligence sharing between police forces across the UK.
The Committee welcomes the work of Pegasus, the new national scheme to tackle organised crime in the retail sector and recommends that existing schemes such as Business Crime Reduction Partnerships (linking police and local businesses) should all be part of a National Standards Accreditation Scheme.
Outlining the conclusion, the committee called for an urgent need to phase out the term shoplifting as it trivialises the crime. The Committee supports the plan to repeal the offence of “low-value shoplifting” and supports the creation of a standalone offence of assaulting a retail worker.
Improved reporting systems are required to enable retailers to report crime to the police quickly and easily, said the committee, recommending improving mechanisms for police and criminal justice systems to recognise and record when a crime has taken place in a retail setting.
The committee has also called on for "increased funding to community-based reoffending and rehabilitation initiatives" to help divert prolific drug and alcohol addicted offenders away from further offending.
Public awareness campaigns are needed to target the stolen goods market, stated the committee while expressing support for the introduction of regulations and best practice guidance for the use of facial recognition technology by private companies.
Welcoming the committee's findings and recommendation, ACS chief executive James Lowman said, “We strongly welcome the recommendations of the Committee which are sensible measures aimed at prioritising shop theft response both locally and nationally, as well as improving reporting rates. We know that millions of incidents of theft go unreported every year because retailers feel as though nothing will be done, which is a trend that we need to reverse or risk effectively decriminalising theft. Theft is a damaging crime, committed by organised groups that are stealing to order and take advantage of people struggling with the cost of living.
“We are looking forward to continuing working with the Home Office and Police and Crime Commissioners across the country to put in place the recommendations of the report and close the gap between reported crime and the reality of the situation in local shops.”
The Lords Committee has been considering the impact of shop theft on the retail sector since the end of the last parliament, hearing from different stakeholders involved in retail, academia and crime prevention on ways to improve reporting, reduce reoffending, and improve retailers’ confidence in the police.
ACS gave evidence to the Lords Committee in September of this year, sharing the experiences of members with reporting shop theft, the challenges of reporting crime, and the perceived lack of action from the police when thefts are reported to get repeat offenders off the streets.
In the Budget last week, the Chancellor announced that it was taking action to deal with the sharp rise in shop theft, providing additional funding to tackle the organised gang that target retailers.
The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which will cover all four UK nations and will see all young people born on or after January 1, 2009, unable to purchase any tobacco products, will be introduced to parliament today (5).
The world-leading Bill will include measures to create a smokefree generation, phasing-out the sale of tobacco products across the UK to anyone aged 15 or younger this year, breaking the cycle of addiction and disadvantage.
In addition, the government will be given powers to extend the indoor smoking ban to specific outdoor spaces: with children’s playgrounds, outside schools and hospitals all being considered, subject to consultation. However, the government abandoned plans for a ban on smoking outside pubs and cafes after concerns were raised about the impact on the hospitality industry.
"Unless we act to help people stay healthy, the rising tide of ill-health in our society threatens to overwhelm and bankrupt our NHS," the health minister Wes Streeting said in a statement. "This historic legislation will save thousands of lives."
This sits alongside a ban in the Bill on vape advertising and sponsorship, as well as powers to restrict the flavours, display and packaging of all types of vapes, as well as other nicotine products. The new UK Bill will give enforcement agencies, including Trading Standards Wales, additional powers to issue Fixed Penalty Notices for illegal sales of tobacco and vapes and other consumer nicotine products.
Proposals include restrictions to the advertising of vaping and nicotine products; banning vape vending machines and measures to reduce the appeal and availability of vapes by addressing vape flavours, packaging and where they can be displayed in shops to move them out of sight of children.
Disposable vapes are also due to be banned from 1 June 2025 under separate environmental legislation.
The previous Conservative government had announced similar measures to create the first smoke-free generation. However, those plans failed to become law before the general election in the summer when the party lost power. The new legislation ensures anyone aged 15 this year, or younger, will be banned from buying cigarettes, and aims to make vapes less appealing to children.
The government said smoking causes about 80,000 deaths a year and costs the economy 21.8 billion pounds a year in lost productivity and health and care costs - far outweighing tax receipts. Britain banned smoking in almost all enclosed public spaces, including bars and workplaces, in 2007.
Cancer Research UK said this led to an estimated 1.9 million fewer smokers, and research in the British Medical Journal estimated there were 1,200 fewer hospital admissions for heart attacks the following year.
Supermarket Sainsbury’s has become the first grocer to extend its Aldi price-match campaign to its 800 local convenience store outlets.
In a bold move by its boss to win back market share from the German discounter, Britain’s second-largest supermarket chain today (4) has added price matches on 200 daily staples — including milk, chicken, bread and vegetable oil — in its local convenience stores.
Simon Roberts, chief executive, told The Times that he had decided to roll out the campaign because customers had told him that they “really love the convenience of Sainsbury’s Local, but would really like to see value on the products we buy most often.
“What we’re seeing from customers is that they want to be sure they’re getting the best value.
“UK grocery is one of the most, if not the most competitive markets in the world,” Roberts said. “What we’ve seen is lots of new, smaller supermarkets grow in the UK, and so we have to be competitive on everyday products that customers buy, in order for them to be confident in our value.”
He added that matching with Aldi prices “gives customers real confidence”, particularly when shoppers’ budgets are squeezed.
The Aldi price-match scheme will replace Sainsbury’s “pocket friendly prices” campaign, which launched last year to help customers find cheaper items in its Local shops more easily.
Sainsbury’s is targeting between 20 and 25 new Local stores each year, as part of its ongoing expansion plan, which includes opening more larger-format supermarkets. It will open a new convenience shop at Edinburgh Airport in December, in a unit previously occupied by Marks & Spencer. It will be Sainsbury’s first airport store.
“Whether on the way to work, or travelling from a station, local stores play such an important role in people’s lives," Roberts said.
Waitrose is to open 100 new convenience shops over the next five years as part of a £1 billion investment, while Marks & Spencer unveiled plans to open ten new convenience stores this year and renew up to 50. Morrisons plans to open 400 more of its Morrisons Daily convenience stores, with a wider goal of hitting 2,000 smaller stores in 2025.
Retailing isn’t just about ringing up sales anymore—it’s about creating happy shoppers! A great customer experience is the secret sauce that builds brand loyalty and keeps people coming back for more.
Convenience retailers have an edge to shape and create memorable experiences by understanding customer behavior and subtly influencing their decisions.
But it isn’t as simple as it sounds. Did you know the average consumer spends just 4 to 20 seconds in front of shelves before deciding what to buy?
According to Vincenzo Russo, professor of consumer psychology and neuro-marketing at IULM University in Milan, these fleeting moments are driven largely by emotion, rather than rational consideration.
Interestingly, it is this overlap between “emotion and memory” that has crucial implications for influencing our ability to remember a product, a brand, and, therefore, to choose it again in the future, he said.
If only there was a way or rather a sure shot formula to hack this overlap!
If you think that’s tricky, here's another fact to consider. According to SAP Emarsys’ annual Customer Loyalty Index (CLI), almost half of UK Gen Z shoppers (46 per cent) and 29 per cent of other generations have abandoned a brand they were once loyal to because they grew “bored” of them.
Take the case of Liquid Death bottled water, which has been “radically entertaining” its audience to cut through the noise. The study states that 30 per cent of Gen Z, compared to 23 per cent of all demographics, have tried a new brand because of its “creative marketing”.
Additionally, over a quarter of Gen Z (31 per cent) are enticed by brands that use “cool” content or imagery, versus 21 per cent of other age groups. Meanwhile, 28 per cent of Gen Z, compared to 17 per cent of other demographics, seek out brands that deliver “memorable experiences”.
Clearly, consumers today, not just Gen Z, expect more than “business-as-usual"; they want meaningful and memorable experiences. No wonder, it is imperative to arm the stores with tactics to make them capable of leaving a mark on shoppers’ minds.
Perk up
The store entrance should be warm and welcoming. Placing fresh produce facing the entrance is an effective way to set the mood as the sight of bright fruits, or even fresh flowers signal quality and care to shoppers.
Well-organised shelves and clear signage help customers find what they need quickly. Use vibrant colours and attractive displays to catch your shoppers’ eye. Consider having a color theme but remember that sensory overload can make it difficult for customers to concentrate on products and focus enough to make a purchase.
In convenience stores, milk, bread, eggs, and crisps are hero products—the things people come for most frequently. So don’t bury them but also don’t make it too easy to find. While stores shouldn’t force shoppers to embark on a store-wide expedition for a pint of milk, placing such products just a little further inside the store creates a natural journey that gives other products their moment to shine.
Eye-level is buy-level—it’s an old trick, but it works. Place impulse items, snacks, and seasonal products in high-traffic areas like near the checkouts or next to essential goods. Use lower shelves for staple items that customers are likely to search for, such as porridge, pasta and so on.
Also, cross-merchandising can add a ton of magic to the sales. Think bread next to spreads, pasta near sauces, as well as crisps alongside beer.
Create clear zones with proper sign posting. Quite contrary to supermarkets, shoppers visit the neighborhood convenience stores in a hurry so they would appreciate finding things more easily rather being lost in a maze.
With the rising inclination towards health and fitness, it is a great idea to elevate the health quotient of stores as well. Dedicating and highlighting a section for organic, gluten-free, and vegan items can do wonders in bringing more footfalls from shoppers seeking healthier alternatives.
Installing a small refill station for basics like cereals, pasta, or cleaning products is also a great way of not only cutting down on single-use packaging but also for holding a place in shoppers’ minds.
Some independent stores, like Central Co-op Dodworth Community Store and Woosnam and Davies in Wales are already pioneering refill retailing.
As told by Asian Trader Award winning retailer Ehamparam Karunanithy who runs Premier Talbot Store in Poole, vouch for refill station, saying it not only work great for environment, but also it is easy on his shoppers’ pockets as it gives them flexibility to control the amount they are buying.
Engage all senses
Merchandising is not only about visual appeal. Apart from sight, retailers should try to engage all five senses to create a truly memorable shopping experience.
Tempting scents are a powerful, often overlooked tool. Aromas can evoke positive emotions and even trigger hunger! In fact, the smell of fresh bakery has been known for ages to pull even passing by shoppers into a store.
Light background music or even ambient sounds can subtly shape the mood of not only the shoppers but also of the staff. According to new survey by a music licensing company, four-fifths (82 per cent) of retail worker recognise music mood-boosting benefits during a shift, while two in five workers claimed that customers respond positively to music in store.
Another way to engage a key sense is having tasting sessions in the store. Sampling is a classic but often underused tactic. Let shoppers try a new snack or soft drink or wine—once it’s in their hand, they’re far more likely to buy.
Nisa Local retailer Amit Puntambekar, who often conducts tasting sessions in his village store, told Asian Trader, “When we introduce new lines of wine (from Hatch Mansfield), we often hold tasting sessions. These products can be anything between £10-20+. The tastings help the customer understand the price-point and give them confidence to buy the product.”
Seasonal and Local
Seasonal merchandising is a massive opportunity. Be it annual tradition like Christmas, Easter, Halloween, the summer BBQ season or sport events like EURO 2024 cup, convenience stores can play an instrumental role in creating buzz in the community.
The key is to plan well ahead and catch early shoppers. A dedicated seasonal display—well-placed and well-lit— tends to draw in attention of customers.
This year saw several leading convenience retailers like Aman Uppal and Neil Godhania embracing immersive merchandising when they went an extra mile in creating in-store theatre themes around EURO 2024.
While Uppal’s One Stop Mount Nod store in Coventry created a “5 meters by 4 metre football pitch” in the centre of the store, Godhania’s Neil’s Premier store in Peterborough was installed massive Euro themed vibrant displays throughout the store, along with a small goal post. England did lose the finals, but these stores won as they were successful at creating memorable experiences for the community along with a great talking point and some great sales too.
Godhania told Asian Trader at the time, “These efforts have created a festive in-store experience that’s helped attract more customers, drive footfall and boost sales. The response has been great, we have had an uplift in sales and change in consumer behaviour.
“Sales have increased significantly, and we’ve used the event to our advantage by enhancing our customer engagement through our in-house promotions.”
Additionally, shoppers love to feel connected to their roots, and local products provide that sense of authenticity as well as community spirit.
Retailers like Kaual Patel are setting some interesting benchmarks here. Not only fresh bakery items but his Nisa Local Torridon store also keeps potted plants provided by a local supplier.
“My community loves the fact that I actively work with smaller local suppliers,” he told Asian Trader.
Miles ahead
Replacing paper signs with sleek, easy-to-update digital screens might seem like a huge change but it can elevate the consumer experience to another level altogether. Not only do they look professional, but they allow retailers to quickly rotate promotions, announce limited-time deals, or even display video demos of new products.
Digital screens are another way to jazz up the whole experience. According to a survey, commissioned by Saturn Visual Solutions and carried out by OnePoll, people are more likely to splurge in a store with digital displays while a good portion of the younger generation think digital displays enhance their in-store shopping experience.
Other digital elements, be it presence on an instant delivery apps like Snappy Shopper or being on mobile marketing apps like Jisp can instantly elevate the overall experience.
Some convenience retailers are making some super-smart moves on social media to not only put their store on digital map but also to make it go viral, thus attracting massive footfall.
Run by retailer Imtiyaz Mamode, Wych Lane Premier store in Gosport is one such store that is not only popular in its neighborhood but also drives footfall from nearby towns owing to its huge fan following.
With almost 6,000 followers on Facebook and thousands more on TikTok, the store is popular online as “treasure chest for candy” owing to variety of American sweets from Reece’s Pieces to Nerds along with American range of cereals, soft drinks and ice creams.
The result? Shoppers from as far away as Leicester and Burnley flock to this store, some even documenting their visit on TikTok and Insta. Some of the videos made by customers showing the store’s range have garnered millions of views, attracting people from far and wide, with some ending up spending hundreds of pounds on one visit.
Mamode told Asian Trader, “For me, the change happened through social media. It helped me to broaden my customer base beyond the close vicinity as I was able to put my store on the virtual map and on the must-visit list for young people.”
Today, successful merchandising isn’t just about product placement—it’s about creating an environment that makes customers feel comfortable, cared for, and tempted to spend.
At the end of the day, even the best merchandising can fail if your staff isn’t welcoming or knowledgeable. Convenience stores have a unique advantage here. Armed with flexibility and personal touch, convenience stores can go miles ahead to create great shopping experiences. And some memorable ones too.
Consumers now want a greater commitment from retailers in cutting food waste, refilling stations, sustainable packaging, and partnering with social purpose organisations, states a recent research, which also highlights that a good majority (69 per cent) of younger consumers are more likely to shop with what they see as socially responsible retailers though price sensitivity still plays a crucial role.
According to the findings, published in Vypr’s Consumer Horizon Report, reducing food waste is the most important factor for the majority of UK consumers (29 per cent), especially for Gen Z women aged 18-24 (38 per cent). More than a third (37 per cent) of men aged 18-24 said they needed food storage advice. A similar number of women aged 18-24 (33 per cent) want meal kits with the exact amount of ingredients included for them to cut down on food waste.
Refill stations for personal care, cleaning products, dry goods, and beverages are also in high demand. Consumers, particularly Gen Z women, are keen to use these stations, provided they offer a cost-saving of 6-10 per cent compared to packaged goods. The study indicates that older shoppers are less likely to use refill stations unless prices are reduced by 15 per cent or more, which Vypr said shows the importance of price in driving consumers to adopt sustainable shopping habits.
The third priority for brands and retailers is to adopt sustainable packaging. Awareness of eco-friendly packaging is high, especially among younger generations. Two-thirds of UK consumers say they expect to pay more for sustainably packaged products, and that figure rises to 86 per cent among Gen Z and Millennials. However, Vypr’s research suggests that while shoppers express willingness to pay more, price sensitivity still plays a crucial role.
Ben Davis, founder of Vypr, said: “There’s often a disconnect between consumer intentions and actions. Brands need to understand that simply offering sustainable options may not be enough if price points don’t match consumer expectations.
“For Gen Z and Millennials, sustainable products need to be competitively priced or risk losing long-term loyalty. We tested this by presenting products with and without the label ‘100 per cent Recycled Packaging’ and found price remained the key purchase decision-making factor for most consumers.”
Another factor in building loyalty among younger consumers is to showcase social responsibility. The research reveals that 60% of shoppers are more likely to shop at retailers that partner with food rescue organisations or promote a charitable cause. Among Gen Z and Millennials, this figure jumps to 69%, showing a strong preference for brands that demonstrate a social purpose.
The report also reveals that 85% of shoppers are willing to pay a deposit for reusable products, though it is younger consumers, particularly those aged 18-24 who express the strongest support for such initiatives.
The Consumer Horizon report which provides insights shaping retail, product innovation, and consumer behaviour going into 2025, can be seen here.