National Consumer Agency Market Research Findings Shopping and Pricing Household Budgeting and the Impact of the Recession January 2010 Research Conducted by

2 Making Complaints  Profile of Sample  KEY FINDINGS:  SECTION 1: General Shopping and Pricing  SECTION 2: Grocery Shopping  SECTION 3: Household Budgeting Table of Contents

3 Making Complaints Profile of Sample – I (Base: All aged – 1,000) Male Female % % % % Married Living as Married Single Wid/Div/ Sep ABC1 C2DE F50+/ F50- MAIN GROCERY SHOPPER YesNo

4 Making Complaints Profile of Sample – II – Main Grocery Shoppers (Base: All Mainly Responsible for Grocery Shopping in Home – 525) Male (47) Female (53) % % % (21) (23) (18) (19) 55+ (19) Married (44) Living as Married (10) Single (35) Wid/Div/ Sep (11) ABC1 (40) C2DE (52) ( ) = Total Sample F50+/ F50- (8)

5 Making Complaints Profile of Sample – III – Internet Use (Base: All Respondents – 1,000) USE INTERNET No Yes EVER PURCHASED ONLINE No Yes BANKING ONLINE No Yes (Base: All Internet Users - 702) () = figures from wave (65%) (35%) (49%) (51%) (29%) (71%) Male Female % Yes Male Female % Yes Male Female % Yes

6 Making Complaints Section 1: General Shopping and Pricing

7 Making Complaints Goods & Services Purchased in Past 12 Months – Primary (Base: All aged – 1,000) Shops selling clothing or footwear Supermarkets and newsagents Restaurants, take-aways or hotels Pharmacies, doctors, hospitals or other medicals Personal care e.g. hairdressers, cosmetics Goods & Services Purchased: Benchmark % Ever Bought Wave Wave Wave Wave

8 Making Complaints Goods & Services Purchased in Past 12 Months – Secondary – I (Base: All aged – 1,000) Pubs Communications services including home phone Entertainment at home e.g. DVDs, CDs, games Banking products and services including a current a/c Entertainment outside the home e.g. cinema Petrol stations Goods & Services Purchased: Benchmark % Ever Bought Wave Wave Wave Wave (+4%)

9 Making Complaints Goods & Services Purchased in Past 12 Months – Secondary 2 (Base: All aged – 1,000) Insurance products and services Energy suppliers e.g. ESB, Bord Gais Local authority bin services Public transport – buses and trains TV Service Providers e.g. Sky, ntl Airlines Goods & Services Purchased: Benchmark % Ever Bought Wave Wave Wave Wave (-4%)

10 Making Complaints Goods & Services Purchased in Past 12 Months - Tertiary ( Base: All aged – 1,000) Shops selling furniture or household appliances Education providers e.g. schools and colleges Building and related services e.g. plumbers Travel agents Car dealers Goods & Services Purchased: % Ever Bought Benchmark Wave Wave Wave Wave (-6%)

11 Making Complaints Shopping Around (Base: All aged – 1,000) Comparison of prices I always compare/shop around for better prices I sometimes compare/shop around for better prices % 75% I very rarely compare/shop around for better prices I never compare/shop around for better prices 75% % % 67%

12 Making Complaints Most Likely to Shop Around/Compare Prices in.... Supermarkets & Newsagents Shops selling clothing or footwear Shops selling furniture or household appliances Insurance products & services Airlines Car dealers Petrol stations # All others 2% or less for most likely % Most Likely (Base: All who shop around/compare prices - 675) % Total* * New question Wave Wave

13 Making Complaints % Price Strongest Influencing Factor (Base: All Aged – 1,000) % Wave Wave Convenience Shopped there previously Service Other Don’t know % Wave – Key Influencing Factors in Determining Where to Shop

14 Making Complaints Biggest Influencing Factors Across Sectors – I Supermarkets and newsagents* Shops selling clothing or footwear Insurance products & services Car dealers Airlines Petrol stations Shops selling furniture/ household appliances Building & related services Restaurants or hotels Communications services Travel agents Pubs PriceConvenienceService Having an Existing Relationship* %% (Base: All aged – 1,000) * Having shopped there previously was asked in Wave 3. – * Asked of the full sample – both grocery shoppers and non- grocery shoppers. Wave Wave – –

15 Making Complaints Biggest Influencing Factors Across Sectors – II Entertainment at home Personal care Banking products & services Pharmacies Energy suppliers Entertainment outside the home TV service providers Public transport Local authority bin services Education providers PriceConvenienceService %% (Base: All aged – 1,000) – – – – – – – – – – Having an Existing Relationship* % – – – – – * Having shopped there previously was asked in Wave 3.

16 Making Complaints Price Comparison Sites (Base: All who use the internet – 702) Top 10 sectors most likely to use a product review/website to compare prices/quality# % Frequency of using sites Yes, all the time Yes, sometimes Very rarely No, never Airlines Shops selling clothing or footwear Insurance products & services Supermarkets & Newsagents Travel Agent Car dealers Entertainment at home Shops selling furniture or household appliances Restaurants or hotels Communications services % ( ) = wave (Base: All who sometimes/always use price comparison sites – 229) (50%) (23%) (9%) (18%) Wave Wave

17 Making Complaints Section 2: Grocery Shopping and Pricing

18 Making Complaints Total Wave Wave %% (Base: All aged – 1,000) Overall Awareness of the Price of Everyday Goods All responsible for the main grocery shop – 525 (53%) 70% aware of prices 89% 87% Very aware of the prices Fairly aware of the prices Don't really know the prices Not at all aware of the prices Somewhat unaware of the prices (23) (44) (15) (10) (8) ( ) = Wave Wave % 86%

19 Making Complaints Benchmark 2007 Main Reasons for Choice of Main Grocery Shop (Base: All main grocery shoppers – 525) Price Convenience Parking Late night opening Quality of Product Loyalty Support local shops Other Main Reasons Wave ** Not asked in Benchmark Wave % % % Wave % – ** Wave %

20 Making Complaints Own Brands versus Regular Brands % Own brand Regular brand (Base: All main grocery shoppers – 525) % Wave %% MaleTotalC2DEABC1Female (33) (67 ) (69) (66) (71) (63) (31) (34) (29) (37) () = wave

21 Making Complaints Features of Convenience which Determine Choice of Grocery Shop (Base: All choosing their main grocery shop for convenience – 225) % Features of Convenience Closest to me/local Parking/Free parking Good prices/best prices Late opening/24 hours Knowledge of the store/used to it Easy access Friendly staff/know staff personally I can get everything under the one roof Like the products/better choice/wider range of goods Habit All others 1% or less Wave Wave Wave Wave

22 Making Complaints Change in Grocery Shopping Since the Start of the Year (Base: All main grocery shoppers – 525) YesNo Change in Grocery Shopping (50%) () = Wave % Male (38%) 45% Female (54%) 58% ABC1 (58%) 56% C2DE (49%) 59%

23 Making Complaints % Wave Changes Made to the Grocery Shopping Since the Start of the Year (Base: All who changed their shopping behaviour since the start of the year – 291) % Cutting back on treats for you/family Buying cheaper versions of products (e.g. own brands rather than regular) Taking more advantage of special offers, using coupons, etc. Buy less Spreading your grocery shopping over different supermarkets and stores to get the best value Switched your main grocery shopping from a different retailer to the one you use now Started shopping up North (across the boarder) Do without or cut back e.g. buy less meat Changes to Grocery Shopping % Wave Wave (-8%) (+14%) ** Not asked in previous waves ** % Wave (+14%) (+15%) (+12%)

24 Making Complaints Price Cuts & Special Offers (Base: All responsible for the main grocery shop - 525) Long Term Lower Prices Regular Promotions & Special Offers Don’t know * New Question What would you prefer to see more of within supermarkets?

25 Making Complaints Funding of Promotions & Special Offers (Base: All responsible for the main grocery shop - 525) * New Question NoYes Do you know how promotions and special offers are funded by Supermarkets? Through lower prices and they make no profit Buy in bulk Wholesalers pay for them The supplier offers them to the supermarket Sell below cost to get business Producers are charged for shelf price # all others 1% or less How are they funded? %

26 Making Complaints Special Offers & Promotions (Base: All responsible for the main grocery shop - 525) NoYes Are you aware that retailers sometimes sell items at a loss in order to entice customers into the stores? NoYes Do you actively seek out special offers & promotions in various supermarkets? * New Question

27 Making Complaints Section 3: Household Budgeting and the Impact of the Recession

28 Making Complaints Household Income & Expenditure (Base: All aged 15-74– 1,000) Increased a lot Increased a little Remained the same Decreased a little Decreased a lot Don’t know % Expenditure % Income 53% * New Question

29 Making Complaints Spending / Thrift (Base: All aged 15-74– 1,000) The recession has focused me on thinking carefully about what and when I buy The recession is a good opportunity to pick up bargains in the sales I am consciously trying to buy fewer things nowadays I am putting off buying large spend items until the current situation improves When shopping I budget for every cent I regret the amount of money I have spent on stuff over the last few years (4) Strongly Agree (5) Neither/ Nor /DK (2) Strongly Disagree (1) * New Question (74) (69) (67) (50) (39)

30 Making Complaints Coping Behaviour (Base: All aged 15-74– 1,000) I am actively seeking out cheaper ways of living I would prefer to switch between brands of things I buy than do without them at all I still feel that it is better to pay more for quality products than settle for cheaper brands I prefer to go without than sacrifice on quality Neither/Nor /Don’t Know * New Question (63) (61) (56) (38) (4) Strongly Agree (5) (2) Strongly Disagree (1)

31 Making Complaints Lifestyle (Base: All aged 15-74– 1,000) Despite the recession I feel I am enjoying life as much as ever I am cutting back on all non-essential spending I am reluctant to plan any holidays until things improve in the economy I am seeking out alternative ways to socialise that are less expensive Neither/Nor /Don’t know * New Question (67) (66) (53) (52) (4) Strongly Agree (5) (2) Strongly Disagree (1)

32 Making Complaints Change in Behaviour as A Result of Recession – I (Base: All aged 15-74– 1,000) Budgeting for household expenses Collecting & using coupons when buying things Using loyalty scheme points when making a purchase Buying goods on special offer Using online price comparison sites Buying items online Preparing home-made meals from scratch Eating takeaway foods Never Did It Less % * New Question The Same % More %

33 Making Complaints Change in Behaviour as A Result of Recession – II (Base: All aged 15-74– 1,000) * New Question Spending time ‘bargain hunting’ when buying groceries Spreading your shopping across a number of shops Shopping at grocery discount stores such as Aldi or Lidl Never Did It Less % The Same % More %

34 Making Complaints Change in Behaviour as A Result of Recession – III (Base: All aged 15-74– 1,000) * New Question Planning your weekly shopping in advance Buying grocery items in bulk Spend on groceries overall Buying private label/own label goods Buying Irish produced goods Buying eco-friendly goods Never Did It Less % The Same % More %