New research has revealed that Irish shoppers spend an average of 37 minutes doing their “big shop” every week.
The research, conducted by Bounce Insights on behalf of ALDI Ireland, surveyed more than 1,000 people; to find out how much time parents are spending on their shopping during the busy Back-to-School period.
While the average shop takes 37 minutes, the research found that ALDI shoppers are the quickest, with nearly 80% completing their main shop in 45 minutes or less. Including travel time, the research shows that ALDI shoppers are doing their full weekly shop in less than an hour, which can be a game changer for busy parents during the Back-to-School season.
Parents believe shopping during term time is more expensive (43%), more complicated (30%), takes longer (34%) and is more stressful (32%) than shopping outside of school terms.
In addition, almost 90% of parents (89%) say they need to make special ‘top-up’ trips for school lunchbox items throughout the week, making a quick and efficient shopping experience even more important for busy parents and households.
Shopping Frustrations
When it comes to the shopping experience, the research found that the most common irritations are long checkout queues (37%), products out of stock (38%) and stores being too crowded (22%). ALDI shoppers reported on average a smoother, less stressful shopping experience, with significantly less of these frustrations.
What Shoppers Want
Shoppers place a high importance on value for money and product quality, with these referenced as even more of a priority among the ALDI shopping cohort. 41% of ALDI shoppers prioritise product quality, notably higher than the average (34%), while 70% of ALDI shoppers rank value for money as one the top three most important factors when deciding where to complete their main grocery shop, compared to 59% of shoppers overall. The research also revealed that 41% of shoppers enjoy discovering new products, which jumps to 45% for ALDI shoppers, where the middle aisle continues to be a huge draw for households and families.
Top Tips
ALDI has shared its tips for shopping in store this Back-to-School season:
- Make a list before you go. For busy parents, meal planning and shopping lists can make a huge difference in making sure you pick up everything you need for lunchboxes and dinners. Having a list prepared not only means you can shop quickly and efficiently, but it also cuts down on food waste by ensuring you don’t buy things you don’t need.
- Don’t shop hungry. Shopping on an empty stomach can lead to unintended impulse buys so make sure to have a snack before doing your weekly or top-up shops!
- Shop in off-peak times. Mornings and evenings can be great times to beat the crowds. ALDI stores are open from 8am-10pm (9am-9pm on Sundays) so shopping between 8am-10am and 7pm-10pm can often be quieter shopping times, especially for the all-important top-up shops!
- Watch out for special offers in store. Whether it’s weekly special offers on meat, fresh fruit and vegetables, special seasonal promotions, ALDI’s Too Good To Go €3 surprise bags, or marked-down prices on food approaching its best before date, shoppers can find great bargains and savings across stores.
- Return your DRS bottles and cans before you shop. Returning your empty bottles and cans containers while doing your big shop not only cuts down on multiple trips, but the vouchers received for returned items can then be immediately put against your shopping bill or added to your savings card.
John Curtin, Group Buying Director at ALDI Ireland commented: “We know how valuable parents’ time is, especially at this time of year so making sure the shopping experience is as smooth and efficient as possible is really important for us. These survey findings show that parents and families can get some of that precious time back when they shop at ALDI. It demonstrates our commitment to providing parents with an efficient and streamlined way to save time and money, without compromising on quality or value. Shoppers can also enjoy the excitement of discovering new products along the way, including in our much-loved middle aisle.
“We are proud that ALDI is a preferred destination for busy families and individuals seeking value, quality, and convenience especially around the Back-to-School season, when saving time on the weekly shop gives time back to parents when they need it most.”
