When the recession first started taking effect, it was clear many of us just cut back here and there; and as it continued to make headway, most of us quickly adapted our lifestyles to budget effectively – ensuring we could weather the storm ahead. However, it seems now, a year in, that such strict budgeting could have taken it’s toll, and patience is growing thin on how long this is all going to last.
We’ve been told this week that people who’ve been keeping to strict budgets have now started to give in to their old ways, fed up of going without for so long. This is most visibly demonstrated by the latest statistics showing Waitrose enjoying a 10.2% growth in market share in the last 12 weeks, whilst Aldi’s was up just 8.1%.
TNS who released the figures, believe consumers who opted for budget stores such as Lidl and Aldi at the beginning of the “crunch” have resisted turning into loyal customers. Instead, they’re now reverting back to the stores they feel are a better fit to their lifestyle image.
Despite the recession still being alive and well, people have now grown tired of slumming it and reluctance to go without greatly missed luxuries is growing. So as the revolt begins in the supermarkets, I wonder if this is the first of signs to come that people are giving in to the desire to have what they want again, regardless of the fact this may be the first of several footsteps leading to a path of debt.
And, if we’re loosing our sense of self control after just a year of recession, what problems does the future hold?
So…to settle this debate…tell us now if you’ve changed supermarkets, and if you’ve already reverted back to your original supplier and your thoughts in general on this very subject.
