Shoppers who are trying to watch their diets tend to complain that too many coupons are for unhealthy products. Shoppers who are trying to watch their budgets are buying those unhealthy products anyway – because that’s what they can afford.
That’s one of the insights in a poll of grocery shoppers conducted for Credit Karma.
82% of those surveyed said they’re concerned about inflation’s impact on their ability to afford daily necessities. The vast majority of them said they’ve felt the most significant increase in grocery costs, well ahead of utility bills and gasoline.
So some shoppers are making tradeoffs at the grocery store. More than half are switching to store brand products. A third are buying more of their groceries at discount and dollar stores. Nearly a quarter are doing more of their shopping at stores that offer promotions.
And one in five say they’re buying more unhealthy food, because it’s cheaper.
The UK-based Food Foundation estimated earlier this year that more than a third of grocery promotions for edible products, are for unhealthy foods. A shopper trying to eat healthier would have to pay a lot more to do so – the group found that healthier foods, on average, are more than twice as expensive per calorie as less healthy foods. And that price gap is widening, with the price of healthier food increasing at twice the rate over the past two years alone.
Here in the U.S., a report last year by FMI – The Food Industry Association found that fewer people are buying fresh produce. Three-quarters of the shoppers it surveyed said they’d noticed higher fruit and vegetable prices. So “the shopper’s eye is on sales promotions,” the report noted. “Relevant promotions can influence shoppers to change the amount, types or brand of fruits and vegetables they purchase.”
And without promotions and specials, shoppers in Credit Karma’s survey are more likely to look out for the health of their wallet, than the health of themselves and their family.
But it could be worse. 25% admitted to occasionally skipping meals altogether to save money. “And many have taken more drastic measures,” Credit Karma found, “like accumulating debt (26%), depleting their savings (24%), and neglecting medical care (17%).”
Some believe there’s an easy solution to the disparity between healthy and unhealthy food prices. A recent survey by the UK’s Imperial College Business School found that three-quarters of shoppers favored imposing a higher tax on unhealthy foods, if the money raised was used to make healthier food more affordable. “Government action on food taxes could help people make healthier choices and tackle the rising tide of obesity and chronic illnesses,” one of the report’s authors said.
That may not go over quite as well in the U.S., where a large majority of shoppers are unlikely to support higher taxes on anything. Several states are instead looking into lowering or eliminating taxes on all foods, in order to help grocery shoppers save money that could then be spent on better and healthier options.
“The rising cost of essentials, particularly groceries, is putting immense financial pressure on American households across various income levels, forcing people to make difficult tradeoffs that may be suboptimal for their health,” Intuit Credit Karma consumer financial advocate Courtney Alev said in a statement. “If you’re looking for ways to save on groceries, I recommend shopping with a list to avoid impulse purchases, choosing in-season produce for better prices, and meal planning around your local store’s sales and promotions.”
Not recommended: buying a bunch of junk food because it’s cheap. It may save you money in the short term – but you may not be around long enough to enjoy the money you’re saving in the long term.
Image source: Whole Foods Market
