Some 70 per cent of Portuguese consumers opt for hypermarkets in search of lower prices, claims a study by the Portuguese Association for Consumer Protection (DECO).
Price is by far the largest factor dictating the choice of establishment (80 per cent of cases), followed by proximity, variety and price. Two thirds of respondents frequently use discount coupons, while only 4 per cent make online purchases.
A fifth of consumers often opt for products on sale or a quick sale (near the end of the period), and two thirds have a habit of buying in bulk. After price, consumers are also looking for healthy and tasty food (79 per cent and 74 per cent, respectively).
More than half of respondents confessed to throwing past-by-date food in the garbage, while 14 per cent had to throw away food because they cooked too much of it.
Excess chemicals and the fear of food-borne diseases are the main concerns of food security, with Portuguese consumers increasingly opting for healthy and environmentally friendly products. Nearly a third also opt for local products, another measure in favour of the environment.
More than a third of respondents claim to have bought less meat in the past two years and have reduced their consumption of animal protein, mostly due to health and environmental considerations.
About six in ten respondents conscientiously read the labels on products, especially women, while 44 per cent of consumers would like to see different labels, with a colour code associated with a health benefit, for example.
The survey, conducted between September and November 2014, polled 1,725 consumers aged 25 to 74 years.
© 2015 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic.
