Marks & Spencer shoppers have vowed to make the most of this summer despite the cost-of-living crisis, with more than half (53%) aiming to eat more healthily, a similar proportion (47%) aiming to exercise more regularly and even more (61%) planning to take a holiday abroad.
The retailer’s latest Family Matters Index flies in the face of other consumer surveys which have pointed to consumers slashing and burning all but the most essential expenditure as their wallets go into meltdown.
And, according to M&S, it is the Millennials (47%) who are the most motivated to get in shape, while it seems older generations (over 65s) cannot be bothered.
When it comes to exercise, walking and hiking is easily the preferred activity (48% either have or are planning to take it up), followed by home workouts (38%).
Meanwhile, three-fifths (61%) of Brits are planning to go on a holiday, with 34% set to staycation in the UK.
Cost of living is still cited as a top concern by 82% of UK families, up 10% since the end of last year, and overall optimism about family prospects, which stands at 42%, is down 9% from March last year.
The future impact of climate change (64%) and divisions across the country (59%) also remain key concerns.
The Family Matters Index score is based on a scale of 0-100, with 100 being highest, with a mid-point score of 50 or above representing a positive, optimistic perspective. This quarter, the overall Family Matters index score is 53, the same as November 2021.
M&S head of clothing and home customer insight Tamsin Robertson said:“It’s encouraging to see people more motivated than ever to exercise. When we first launched our Family Matters Index back in 2021 during lockdown, mental health consistently came up as a priority.
“Maintaining your physical health can deliver so many mental health benefits also and it would be great to see this enthusiasm for exercise sustain all year round. It’s a trend we’ve seen already at M&S – in the past year our great value activewear range Goodmove has grown by 26% as people get moving.”
Uncertainty about the future may also be starting to impact shopping habits. Across the board, value is a key deciding factor when choosing where to shop – 78% of people ranked this as a top three priority, ahead of convenience (55%) and customer service (47%).
M&S head of food customer insight Maria Pickett added: “Our latest index suggests cost of living concerns will continue to rise over the coming months, with value set to become even more important to families.
“At M&S Food, we’re focused on delivering our trusted value promise, which matters more than ever to our customers. Trusted value means offering great value food without compromising on quality and freshness, sourcing standards or at the expense of our suppliers.”
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