One in nine UK households making changes to shopping habits

The report, Shopping through the recession, showed that 72 percent are making small changes to spending, but as the economic situation develops it is likely that more shoppers will have to make larger changes to their shopping habits.

It also showed that only four percent of main grocery shoppers in the UK believe they won't be affected by the recession.

ATTITUDE GROUPS

The research, which is based on 1015 online interviews in mid-January, identified four key attitude groups among shoppers:

1. Unaffecteds - 13 percent of shoppers who seem confident that their situation or their existing spending patterns mean they won't be affected by the recession. Although this group claims to be unaffected by the recession they are still making changes to their shopping habits, albeit at a lower level than the average.

2. Planners - 15 percent of shoppers who haven't been affected yet, but are making changes just in case. The majority have noticed their household costs going up, and are planning for the worst in terms of the recession. They have a focus on price, but also on avoiding temptation, and economising by making meals from scratch.

3. Soft Reactors - 48 percent of shoppers. These shoppers claim they have had to make changes to household spending because of the recession, but that so far these changes are small. The tactics they favour include switching to own label brands, sticking to large main grocery shopping trips rather than top-up shops, being more price aware and avoiding both waste and temptation. In some respects, therefore, shoppers in this group are learning the basics of household financial management.

4. Strong Reactors - 24 percent of shoppers. This is the group most seriously affected by the economic situation, and as a result are having to make major changes to their spending habits. They are also most likely to demonstrate active shopping between stores in order to get the best deals or prices available.

CHANGING SPENDING PATTERNS

"Perhaps the biggest difference between this recession and those of the past is that there are a number of ways shoppers can make changes to their spending habits," the report said.

"'Do I really need it?' has become the mantra of shoppers in recession."

This has resulted in the adoption of four strategies:

* Avoidance: 87 percent of shoppers cutting back on temptation/more planning of what they need before a shopping trip

* Economising: 92 percent of shoppers being more price sensitive/ looking for price cutting promotions

* Store switching: 86 percent of shoppers avoiding waste/ making things go further

* Prudence: 84 percent of shoppers avoiding expensive shops/ going where deals are