Trust in supermarkets to act in the best interests of shoppers has slumped to its lowest point in 10 years, as easing inflation fails to convince squeezed customers.
According to consumer group Which?, less than half of some 2,000 people surveyed in August said they trust retailers to act in their best interest.
One in five answered that they did not trust the sector at all, after high prices arrived on shelves to stay and supermarkets have faced repeated accusations of profiteering this year.
Trust in supermarkets therefore sits at its lowest since February 2013, Which? said, when Tesco PLC (LSE:TSCO)’s horsemeat scandal came to light.
Though shop price inflation eased to 6.9% in August from 8.4% in July, as per British Retail Consortium data, Which? pointed out that this still outdid the UK consumer price index, which subsided to 6.4% last month.
“Supermarkets have the power to ease the huge pressure faced by shoppers,” Which? strategic insight head Katie Alpin said, “especially families and those on low incomes”.
Budget items could be stocked in “more expensive” convenience stores, she suggested, benefitting those less able or unable to get to larger sites, often situated out of towns and cities.
However, “Which? research has found that these stores rarely, if ever, stock the cheapest products”, Alpin added.
Which? called on the likes of Tesco, J Sainsbury PLC (LSE:SBRY), Wm Morrison Supermarkets and Asda to address the lack of budget items in their smaller convenience stores.
“While some have taken action, more needs to be done for shoppers to feel the full benefit,” the group said.