The grocery habits of higher-income Britons

Key findings: 

• Higher-income Britons are 16 percentage-points more likely than middle-and-lower-income Britons to prioritise product quality when choosing a supermarket (65% vs 49%).
• Sainsbury’s is the supermarket that over-indexes the most among higher-income Britons (20% vs 14%).
• Nearly half (47%) of higher-income Britons spend £100–£199.99 on groceries each week.

Higher-income Britons represent a significant segment of the nation’s grocery market – with more than one in five (22%) falling into the bracket. While income can influence grocery spends, it may also have an impact on where they shop and what they value at a supermarket.

Using YouGov Profiles data, we compared higher-income Britons and middle-and-lower-income Britons to understand how the two groups differ in their supermarket preferences, shopping habits, and weekly grocery spending.

Insight #1: Product quality and choice matter more to higher-income Britons

Higher-income Britons place greater emphasis on product quality and choice when selecting a supermarket. The largest gap between income groups is the importance placed on the range of products available, cited by 55% of higher-income Britons compared with 37% of middle-and lower-income Britons (an 18-point difference). Product quality also stands out, with nearly two-thirds (65%) of higher-income Britons saying it is important, versus 49% of middle-and lower-income Britons (16-point difference).

By contrast, price-related considerations are more important among middle- and lower-income Britons. More than half (55%) cite cheapest prices overall as an important factor, compared with 42% of higher-income Britons (13-point difference). They are also more likely to value special offers (41% vs 32%, a 9-point difference).

Other notable differences include the importance of best quality products (44% vs 38%), well-known brands (28% vs 22%), and online shopping features such as website usability (13% vs 10%) and the ability to shop online (18% vs 14%), all of which are more likely to be prioritised by higher-income Britons. Meanwhile, factors such as store location, loyalty schemes, and customer service show relatively little variation between the two groups.

Insight #2: Most-used supermarkets among both groups

Sainsbury’s is the supermarket that most clearly differentiates higher-income Britons from other income groups. One in five (20%) higher-income Britons say it is the supermarket where they do most of their grocery shopping, compared with 14% of middle-and lower-income Britons, representing the largest gap between the two groups. Higher-income Britons are also more likely to cite Waitrose (4% vs 2%) and Ocado (3% vs 1%) as their primary supermarket.

Some supermarkets appeal equally across income groups. Tesco is the most-used supermarket overall, with virtually identical proportions of higher-income and middle-and-lower-income Britons naming it as the retailer where they most shop at (28% vs 27%). Aldi (15% vs 16%) and Lidl (11% vs 11%) also attract similar levels of usage across both groups.

By contrast, middle-and-lower-income Britons are somewhat more likely to primarily shop at Asda (11% vs 8%) and Morrisons (9% vs 6%), although the differences are smaller than those seen for Sainsbury’s.

Insight #3: Spending, rather than frequency, separates the two groups

Higher-income and middle-and-lower-income Britons shop for groceries at broadly similar frequencies. Around four in ten in both groups say they shop several times a week (42% vs 39%), while a similar proportion report shopping once a week (40% vs 37%).

The more meaningful distinction emerges in how much households spend. Nearly half (47%) of higher-income Britons say their household spends between £100 and £199.99 on groceries in a typical week, compared with 28% of middle- and-lower-income Britons. Higher-income Britons are also twice as likely to report spending between £200 and £299.99 per week (6% vs 3%).

By contrast, almost two-thirds (65%) of middle-and-lower-income Britons say their household spends less than £100 per week on groceries, compared with 43% of higher-income Britons. Overall, while shopping frequency remains largely consistent across income groups, higher-income households are considerably more likely to spend over £100 on groceries each week.

Methodology: 

YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data through rolling surveys, rather than a single limited questionnaire. Figures are drawn from responses collected between May 2025 and May 2026, using a 52-week dataset updated weekly. Data is nationally representative of adults (18+) in Great Britain and weighted by age, gender, region, education, and social grade.

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