'Half of Britons to reduce grocery spending during Christmas period'

Over half (51 per cent) of UK consumers are set to change their shopping habits by reducing the amount they spend on unnecessary grocery purchases amid the festive season.

According to Toluna’s Global Consumer Barometer Study, attitudes towards specific grocery products will also see a change as 42 per cent look to switch to own-label products and 29 per cent will change the brands they buy to cut costs.

The study further states that 31 per cent of those surveyed said they will move to a cheaper supermarket to find the best offers and 24 per cent will spend more time shopping around for lower prices.

“As we move further into the cost-of-living crisis, our research shows that consumers are increasingly concerned,” Toluna head of research UK & Netherlands, Lucia Juliano said.

As shoppers are looking to save amid the cost-of-living crisis and during the run up to Christmas, Juliano said consumers are “willing to hold brands accountable when it comes to ethical behaviour; they even agree that their own savings and investments should contribute to sustainability.”

Toluna’s study found that 40 per cent of respondents want to see food and drink companies actively supporting ethical issues, while 64 percent said they personally reduce the amount of food they waste to contribute to tackling this issue.

Juliano added: “As prices continue to rise, expectations for brands will increase. It’s vital that brands do everything they can to help people through the coming months. This means they must ensure they are providing consistent, clear messaging around products and services and demonstrate that they’re in tune with consumer sentiments so that they can genuinely help their customers.”

Toluna’s report comes a week after another report by Retail Economics with retail technology firm Metapack which stated thatshoppers are expected to spend £4.4 billion less on non-essentials – a fall of 22 per cent – in the run-up to Christmas as a surge in the cost of living puts a squeeze on their spare cash.

Almost 60 per cent of shoppers expect to cut back on non-food spending in the so-called “golden quarter”, or last three months of the year when most retailers book the majority of profits, according to research by .