Data confirms end of weekly shop

Tesco bosses have been suffering over it for a while, but now the firm’s data company – DunnHumby – has decided to share it with all: the days of the large weekly shop are numbered, as consumers increasingly opt to nip in and buy a few items at a time.
The study of shopping habits from over 7 million consumers across 18 countries found there is a trend across all store formats for consumers making purchases of no more than three products.
It shows the number of shopping trips people make has increased nearly 20% over the past five years, with price sensitive customers found to be 16% more likely to make small basket purchases; in Asia it is as high as 30%.
As early as April 2012, Tesco chief executive Philip Clarke said the retailer was scaling back openings of big stores and store extensions, focusing instead on smaller stores. Since then many of its out-of-town stores have been transformed by giving more space to clothing, household electricals and the introduction of Harris+Hoole coffee shops. It has even opened a New York-style diner called Fred’s Food Construction at the Tesco Extra in Osterley, West London.
DunnHumby global director of customer knowledge Julian Highley said: “Shoppers are demanding store experiences and products that are simple, efficient and easy. In order to succeed, retailers can consider how to cater for small-basket shopping trips across all store formats.
“Whether this means placing popular convenience products near express checkout lanes or also ensuring that these are sufficient for processing small basket shoppers quickly, it’s clear that retailers and consumer-packaged-goods manufacturers must look to address this growing long-term trend so they can continue to meet customer needs.”