Nine out of ten customers say that the offers, promotions and discounts available in their supermarket play a crucial role in their purchasing decisions. This is one of the conclusions of the first report ‘Your Pocket Today: study on consumption and savings trends’, an annual survey prepared by Dia that analyses the evolution of customer behaviour in the face of the transformation of the sector and current economic challenges. The context, characterised by a greater concern among families to save on their shopping basket, has led to practices such as comparing prices, buying products on sale or planning weekly menus in advance becoming some of the frequent habits to reduce the expenditure they allocate to this activity.
The rise of own brands is another trend that has taken centre stage in recent years, now representing 43.7% of Spanish families’ shopping baskets. Thus, the study carried out by Dia reveals that nearly half of those surveyed have changed their purchasing habits towards more affordable products, prioritising the consumption of own brands. In fact, six out of ten say that own brands allow them to save on their shopping basket, and 50% say that this saving is between 10 and 25% of their monthly shopping.
On the other hand, customers are very concerned about leading healthy lifestyles. In this sense, when presented with the possibility of purchasing higher quality products at higher prices, a third of those surveyed say they would be willing to pay more for better quality. However, more than half (almost 60%) would do so only depending on the type of product, thus sacrificing the quality factor to fit their budget. The survey concludes that 45% of those surveyed spend between €50 and €100 per week on shopping, while 42% only spend between €25 and €50.
A varied selection, proximity and loyalty clubs are the keys to choosing where to shop
In the current context, marked by the variety of products and brands, the majority of those surveyed say they do not choose a specific establishment, choosing to make their purchases in multiple supermarkets to have flexibility in their decision-making. Specifically, nine out of ten customers do so, who are guided by the type of product they need, the location or the offers available in each establishment.
Given this situation, the Dia study concludes that price has become the most valued aspect by customers when it comes to being loyal to a specific supermarket, ranking first for seven out of ten respondents. This is followed by proximity and closeness to home, a fundamental aspect for 60% of customers. In third position are the offers, discounts and promotions available (48%), followed by customer service and attention (35.7%) and loyalty clubs (27.2%).
Shop in-store, daily and marked by offers
The physical store remains the predominant purchasing channel for more than half of customers (53%), detecting greater savings than online. The possibility of seeing the products in person or the offers available in store are crucial for respondents when deciding to leave the house.
If we look at the frequency with which customers visit the supermarket, in line with the latest trends in the sector, which reveal that they prefer to go more frequently and make smaller and less expensive purchases, the Dia study reveals that 40.7% of people choose to make a daily purchase.
Offers have also played a key role in customer loyalty, influencing purchasing decisions for nine out of ten respondents (87%). When asked about the type of promotions they prefer, 66% of respondents admit to opting for products with special prices and direct offers, followed by strategies such as coupons, gift cards and free samples.
Dia supports households with 150 million euros in promotions
For Inés Vilchez, Director of Operations and Supply Chain at Dia Spain, “the conclusions drawn from this first report once again show the changes that our customers’ preferences have undergone in recent years, as well as the importance of identifying them in order to respond quickly to their demands in a timely manner. Under the commitment to be by the side of Spanish families regardless of the economic situation they face, Dia strives to adapt to the specific needs of its customers and, in the last year, has reinforced its commitment to own-brand products, with more than 2,400 renewed references, as well as investing 150 million euros in promotions for the whole of 2024.”
In a clear commitment to proximity and with the aim of being closer to its customers every day and being an ally for families to reduce their spending on their shopping basket, Dia began a comprehensive transformation process three years ago based on a new store concept and a renewal of its own brand seeking the highest quality. Thus, the company has focused its efforts on renewing “New Dia Quality”, made up of more than 2,400 references that are a success in the shopping basket, where they already have a weight of 57%.
For Dia, it is essential that customers can freely and flexibly choose the products that will be included in their shopping basket. For this reason, the company offers a wide and varied range made up of high-quality own-brand products at affordable prices, as well as the main manufacturer brands. At the same time, Dia continues to focus on innovating its Dia products, the consumption of which can lead to a saving of 25% on the annual spending on the shopping basket of a Spanish household, meaning that a purchase of €1,000 could reduce the spending to €750-800.
Furthermore, Dia continues to work to support the nearly 6 million customers who are members of Club Dia, a unique loyalty club that has been helping its members save on their shopping for 25 years thanks to exclusive benefits, discounts and promotions. Club members can enjoy offers, personalized coupons, weekly promotions on more than 200 products, especially fresh products, and 40% discounts on their favorite products. Furthermore, through the program of alliances with leading companies, Dia becomes an undisputed ally in saving for its customers beyond the shelves. By hiring the services of partners such as Endesa, MAPFRE, Galp, Booking, Securitas Direct, Avis, Legálitas or Parques Reunidos, Club Dia customers can save up to €500 on their annual purchases.
