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If you’re from the UK I imagine you’ll remember this: “Next time you’re at the checkout and you hear the beep - think of the fun you could be having on Supermarket Sweep“!
This was the show where participants tested their shopping knowledge in a bid to take part in the final trolley dash!
For some of us the grocery shopping experience is a bit like a trolley dash! But, did you know that the way you shop can tell a lot about your ‘shopping personality‘?
Canned Food UK has recently commissioned Dr David Lewis, a leading psychologist, to research and investigate the UK’s shopping habits. The results have actually shown that some canny shoppers are saving over £600 per year. So, how do they are they doing that?
Well, Dr David Lewis defines four shopping personalities:
- SNIPS - Spontaneous, Novel, ImPulsive Shoppers
- MOPS - Methodical, Organised, Painstaking Shoppers
- FLIPS - Focused, Logical, Incisive, Persistent Shoppers
- HIPPS - Holistic, Intuitive, People People Shoppers
SNIPS - Spontaneous, Novel, ImPulsive Shoppers
The study tells us that, “The approach to food and grocery shopping followed by around half (48%) of all SNIPS consists of wandering, somewhat haphazardly, up and down the supermarket aisles, rarely if ever making a detailed list and buying items as the mood takes them. They were least likely of all four groups ever to read product labels (24%) while one out of ten (12%) admitted they rarely gave any advanced thought to what they wanted to eat”.
“Yet despite this laid back approach to their shopping trips, the survey also found that SNIPS had a keen eye for a bargain with four out of ten (40%) enjoying savings of up to £12 a time on their main food and grocery shopping”.
MOPS - Methodical, Organised, Painstaking Shoppers
Dr Lewis said that this group’s shopping style is “characterised by a great deal of pre-planning before embarking on a food or grocery shopping trip combined with almost military precision when in the store”.
This is definitely not me!
“They claimed to always make a detailed list of their needs and then sticking to it rigorously, seldom being tempted by impulse buying or special offers (13%) they were the least likely to wander haphazardly up and down the aisles (3%)”.
FLIPS - Focused, Logical, Incisive, Persistent Shoppers
The study reports that shoppers in this group “seldom did much advanced planning preferring to adapt their strategies according to the needs of each shopping trip, one in eight (13%) said they always read product labels with care to check up on levels of fat, sugar and salt before making their choice”.
HIPPS - Holistic, Intuitive, People People Shoppers
These careful shoppers “tended to make a list a stick to it rather than seeking out special offers (48%). However when it came to planning their meals in advance almost four out of ten (38%) admitted they never did so with just one in ten (10%) making any detailed plan”.
To be honest, I think I’m a bit of a mixture between SNIPS and FLIPS.
I normally make some sort of a shopping list, which really only consists of the ‘must not forget’ items, which I sometimes forget to buy anyway!
I also tend to wander haphazardly up and down aisles looking for inspiration on what to buy. I’m always on the look out for a bargain, however I definitely don’t go out of my way to find one, and I sometimes read food labels, but not as much as I ought to being a dietitian.
I certainty didn’t realise that my random wanderings at the supermarket could tell so much about me!
So, what kind of shopper are you? The good news is that according to the study, if you’re a SNIPS, you’ll most probably be bagging yourself a bargain, and saving time as you do so.
To read the full report, or get some great recipes on cooking with canned foods head over to Canned Food UK.
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{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
LOL I soo remember watching that show when I was like 9 years old with my mom. And I swear, even then, they were all reruns! It’s been a few years since I have seen an episode though, good stuff. But, I only remember the American version…
Shawn welcome!
I know..terrible programme, however to my shame I DO remember watching it as well!!! I did hear that they were bringing it back in the UK too, they must be running out of gameshow ideas fast!!!