More than half of food shoppers change their meal plans depending on promotions running in supermarkets, according to new research.

The IGD Shoppervista survey revealed 52% of shoppers often change their meal plans based on which products are on promotion.

Research showed middle class shoppers were most easily swayed with some 62% of ABC1 families changing what meals they buy to take advantage of promotions at the last minute compared to 53% of C2DE families.

IGD said 60% of 25-to-34 year-olds also often change their eating habits based on what is on promotion against 47% of over 55-year-olds.

IGD chief executive Joanne Denney-Finch said: “We have become a nation of savvy shoppers as austerity has become the ‘norm’. Before the credit crunch most of us would tend to do our food and grocery shopping at the same store and buy pretty much the same products week-in, week-out.

“But now, we are shopping around more and also making the most of the different offers available to us.”

She added: “Over four in ten shoppers say they are freezing more of the fresh items they buy on multi-buy in order to increase their shelf-life and reduce waste. While 35% of shoppers told us they are planning more meals according to the dates on multi-buy fresh food, over the last six months.”

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