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November 2025 - Retail

Recent survey indicates that older consumers are the most price conscious: A research study commissioned to explore brand loyalty has identified older shoppers (55+) as the age group who are most likely to be price sensitive and who stick to brands they know and trust. In contrast, those under 55 are deemed less risk averse when making a purchase and are happier to experiment with new brands, discarding those that don’t (or no longer) meet their expectations. 

The research, conducted by Censuswide for Prezzee UK (a leading global eGift card platform), surveyed a representative sample of 5,000 British consumers this year. Its main objectives were to identify the key factors influencing and shaping brand loyalty, examine differences across various sectors, and assess how online and in-store experiences affect consumer attitudes towards brands or retailers. The data revealed that while just over a third (36%) of 16–34-year-olds reported that affordability was a key driver for brand loyalty, 50% of those aged 55+ said this was the case.

When consumers were asked which factors influence loyalty across different sectors, cheaper standard pricing and higher quality goods and services were considered equally important for fashion and hospitality brands. Cheaper standard pricing was also a major factor when shopping for technology brands, closely followed by higher quality goods and services. However, while price was a key driver for consumers choosing supermarkets and food brands, they interestingly ranked points-based loyalty and reward schemes as more important than higher quality goods and services. This is significant for supermarkets, as a fifth (21%) of those surveyed said they would feel less loyal if a loyalty or rewards scheme was removed. 

The data also revealed a notable difference in feeling and strength of brand loyalty experienced online vs instore. Just 6% of UK shoppers said they are more loyal to a brand when shopping online, compared to nearly a third (32%) who reported feeling a stronger brand connection shopping in-store. This stark contrast, the report highlights, is a clear indication that the in-store experience has the greatest impact on customer loyalty. 

The research also found that UK consumers were more likely to show the strongest loyalty towards their supermarket (56%) compared to their bank (41%) and fashion retailer (32%). This interesting order is perhaps influenced by frequency of purchase/ visits and breadth of products and services offered, with UK supermarkets having expanded far beyond their core remit in recent years to encompass a huge variety of goods and amenities, from pharmacies and photo developing to instore food franchises. 

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