New research from cashback site Fatcheese.co.uk has revealed that almost a third (31%) of Britons rarely or never pay full price when shopping, as they take advantage of a plethora of vouchers, discounts and cash-back services. Fatcheese has labelled this new breed of consumer the ‘lemon squeezers’ — shoppers that will do anything to secure the lowest price and best deal.
The average shopper now spends one to two hours a week searching for the best prices and hunting down vouchers for two-for-one deals and money-off shopping discounts, the research found.
And one in twenty (6%) Britons are hardcore bargain hunters, spending more than five hours each week surfing the net and shopping around for the lowest prices and best deals. These Lemon Squeezers feel disappointed and frustrated (69%) if they are forced to pay full price for an item — and, for some, it has a serious psychological impact, leaving them feeling physically ill.
The research also found that:
- 9% always choose stores where they can save money
- A further 28% usually choose stores where they can use a discount or offer
- 22% always or usually select a restaurant where they will not have to pay full price
The research also includes some fascinating quotes indicating just how far consumers will now go to save a little money — and how quickly a business can lose custom if it doesn’t offer a discount. Consumer comments include:
- “I left a well-known burger restaurant because the couple next to us had a half price voucher and I couldn’t cope with sitting next to them and paying full price.”
- “I drove an extra twenty miles to get petrol at 5p per litre less… before realising the distance driven cost more than the saving.”
- “I got up at 04:30, two hours earlier than I needed, to save £20 on my flight
- “Bought enough anti-perspirant for two years because it was seriously reduced.”
- “I stayed up all night for three days in a row to enter an online competition that had a winner every hour as I thought less people would play at night. I won £200 for three sleepless nights.”
“Consumers are becoming increasingly savvy, taking advantage of the internet to track down the cheapest prices and money-off discounts.
“Some consumers may face a nasty shock if retailers and restaurants stop offering money-off discounts, having become conditioned to 2for1 pizzas and 10% shopping discounts,” says Ahmed Zaman, co-founder of Fatcheese.co.uk. “There are millions of UK shoppers that refuse to pay full price for any purchases unless they absolutely have to.”
