Master of budget optimization!

Finding the miracle formula for budget optimization

When you ask people in Serbia what is their biggest fear, we assume that lot of them would tell you it is „promaja”. When looking at price increase in last few years it seems that they are nominating to hold strong second place of fears.  It is therefore not a surprise to see that unfair price increases are the main reason why over 70% of Serbian shoppers would boycott a brand, company or retailer, according to YouGov Behavior change study.

Government is trying to help consumers and ease the situation with introducing a 20% limit on retail margins for 23 categories of essential goods, effective September 1, 2025, as a measure to combat rising prices. This decree, which applies to large retail chains, is set for six months and excludes certain items like fresh fruits, vegetables, and fresh meat. The government's goal is to curb inflation and support citizens' living standards. These measures would probably help, but we should not forget that even with the limited price increase, it is still coming on a very high base from previous years which cannot be disregarded.

What is also important to understand in this pricing game is that shoppers will potentially face with situation that some categories which traditionally would have been on a deep promo, now are going back to regular prices due to government measures, so it is a question if this would be actually a decrease or increase of the price for the final consumer.

In any case, it is clear that shoppers are trying to find the ways to optimize their shopping baskets with implementing different downtrading strategies. It is for sure that Promo hunt is the top of mind activity, which is evidenced in increase of promo share, with 1/3 of the basket value going through promo purchases. Also, according to same YouGov Shopper study we can see that shoppers are starting to avoid certain brands and switch from premium to cheaper ones, which is opening space for PL and pushing it to 24% of the purchase value.

Loyalty cards continue to perform strongly, both in terms of adoption and usage intensity. Loyalty cards were used in 30% of all purchases in 2024, and even more when measured by value. Notably, when a loyalty card is used, the average spend per trip is 41% higher compared to trips without one.

In an economic environment marked by high inflation and increasing pressure on household budgets, loyalty programs are becoming an essential tool for retailers. They play a crucial role in attracting and retaining shoppers—especially at a time when consumers are scrutinizing every purchase and seeking the best value for money.

Despite the price pressure and budget limitations life still must go on. The Serbian spirit remains unshaken—resilience is woven into daily life, from bustling open markets to family gatherings where optimism still finds a place. In fact, shoppers in Serbia are changing habits and trying to catch up with European trends, but one thing remain certain – being fully vegan or eating without meat would be NO-GO for more than 60% of Serbian shoppers, according to Behavior change study. We will not be hungry, for sure!

Methodology: YouGov Shopper Serbia is based on continuously collected data and rolling surveys on 2,000 households representative for the total population of the country.

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