Third of shoppers now shop from discount sections as cost of living spirals

Nearly a third (32 per cent) of shoppers “are buying ‘yellow sticker’ discounted items approaching their use-by date to save money, says a recent survey, as cost of living squeeze continues in the country amid record-high inflation rates.

According to Ipsos, yellow stickers’ popularity has spiked as the cost of living crisis grows. The stickers are used by Waitrose, Tesco, Lidl and the rest on selected items that haven’t sold, or have use-by dates that are fast approaching.

Not only are these stickers gaining popularity, queues often form in anticipation and sometimes it gets ugly as there have been reported incidents of aggressive behaviour among shoppers, i reported. 

“Many people are struggling to maintain their budgets, and it’s only going to get worse as the cost of living increases,” the outlet quoted shopper Naomi Willis as saying.

The survey also revealed that three in four (76 percent) shoppers expect a rise in their grocery bills over the next three months, while 73 percent have already seen an increase in their household grocery bills compared to the year before.

Among shoppers who have seen an increase in the costs of their groceries, 4 in 10 (39 percent) said they were finding it difficult to afford the increase this year compared to 2021, says the Ipsos survey.

“Within a turbulent climate affecting government, oil prices and employment, basic amenities like food and household goods are being hit heavily by inflation in the UK.[…],” CEO of IPSOS UK, Kelly Beaver, said.

“As disposable income comes under growing pressure, we expect to see shoppers becoming savvier and shopping cheaper, so households can afford the price increase in their weekly shop.”