Cheaper food in the baskets as shoppers cut back on grocery bills

Cash-strapped consumers are increasingly turning to discount supermarkets to slash their spending on food, as soaring prices force them to change their shopping habits, according to a new report.

Research has found the prolonged squeeze on their pockets is making millions of shoppers more savvy when they visit high street stores and is forcing them to change their habits at the tills.

A nationwide survey from consumer watchdog Which? found that 84 per cent of people across the UK are worried about the rising cost of food - with food prices continuing to climb. Some 92 per cent of people surveyed said they had noticed an increase in the cost of food over the last year, while a third of the 1,298 surveyed told Which? they had already reduced their spending on groceries this year.

More than a third - 39 per cent - said they were using discount supermarkets more than they had previously.

Researchers found that people have also changed which foods they are buying to cope with higher food prices, switching to cheaper brands, bigger value packs and more supermarket own-brands.

Shoppers are also putting less organic food in their baskets, with 38 per cent now less likely to buy organic meat, and 43 per cent cutting back on organic fruit and vegetables.

Which? looked at 232 everyday items from the big four supermarkets - Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Tesco - and found that consumers can make some simple savings without compromising on taste by swapping some premium products for cheaper foods.

Budget versions of fish, cheese, butter, natural yoghurt and dried spaghetti were all recommended to try for everyday use in place of more expensive alternatives.

Richard Lloyd, executive director at Which?, said: "Despite inflation falling slightly in June, people are still feeling the squeeze from soaring food prices.

"People are changing their behaviour and becoming more savvy shoppers when it comes to groceries, but there's only so much they can do to cut back on the basics."

Figures from the Office of National Statistics last month showed that food inflation stood at 6.9 per cent, up by 0.9 per cent, while the headline inflation rate was 4.2 per cent, down from 4.5 per cent.

Research showed that essential foods such as bread, meat, milk, cheese and eggs increased markedly month on month, putting yet more pressure on already struggling households.