Some 30% of consumers believe supermarket loyalty schemes and money-off vouchers lead them to waste food, according to a survey by Coyne Research, commissioned on behalf of Aldi Ireland.

The survey also found that despite inflationary pressures, shoppers could be spending up to €477 more a year on groceries than they need to due to supermarket marketing ploys.

This total of €477 equated to an average of €9 additional spending per supermarket shop per consumer, according to the analysis. Three in 10 of those surveyed claimed their additional spend was over €10.

Survey commissioner Aldi Ireland claimed that it does not operate a loyalty scheme or money-off vouchers, but said, instead, it focuses on providing the lowest possible prices for consumers.

Spending more

Almost half (46%) of the shoppers surveyed said supermarket discount offers, such as ‘buy one get one free’ and ‘three for two’, lead them to spend more than they planned.

Some 43% said it leads them to buy things they don’t really need or want.

Last week, figures published by Kantar showed that grocery inflation, the increase in the cost of groceries in Ireland over time, hit its highest level since 2008 at 7.7%.

“Food and drink prices are continuing to climb and the impact of this on shopping budgets is now unavoidable for many consumers,” said Kantar senior retail analyst Emer Healy.