Survey reveals shift from branded goods as shoppers get thrifty

Shoppers are buying more own-brand products and increasingly spreading their purchases across several supermarkets in an effort to keep their grocery bills down.

Research by the National Consumer Agency (NCA) has found a shift away from branded products in the past 18 months, with more than half of those surveyed saying they were now buying more own-brand goods than they did last year.

Even favourites like tea, coffee, cereals, and baby products which traditionally command high customer loyalty, are losing ground to own-brand alternatives, and when it comes to biscuits, juices, milk, toilet rolls, and cleaning products, more people are now buying own-brand versions.