With inflation, consumers are increasingly turning to hard discount stores, which are managing to gain consumer trust regarding the quality of their products. A study by Dentsu Insights traces customer typologies and their preferences.
Once depreciated for the quality of their products, hard-discount stores such as Lidl, Action, Netto and Aldi have managed to gain the trust of consumers in a context of inflation. A study conducted by Dentsu Insights determines the different typologies of customers of these brands, as well as their food and media consumption preferences.
Lidl, marque leader du hard-discount
In 2023, according to IFOP, six out of ten French people had to reduce their food budget, thus propelling hard-discount to the rank of preferred choice for many households: 40% of the population frequent these stores at least once a month, of which 20% consider them to be their favorite store*.
Lidl remains the benchmark brand for hard discounters, followed by Aldi. These stores effectively meet the needs of a diverse clientele, faced with increasing budgetary constraints, by offering a practical and economical solution. As a result, these brands continue to grow in popularity, becoming key players in the landscape of mass distribution in France.
Customer typologies
The majority of customers of hard discount stores are women over 45, living with their families, in small and medium-sized regional towns with diverse interests and hobbies, ranging from cooking to personal well-being and relaxation.
Hard discount store customers prefer to buy food in physical stores throughout their shopping journey over online. They also consume a lot of dairy products and appreciate family products, such as spreads and biscuits.
This target is thoughtful in its purchases, but promotions and diversity of choice can convince it. It also favors local products and distributor brands. Customers are rather sensitive to the advertising offered by supermarket chains and about a quarter of them pay attention to it. The majority notice it but are not really interested in it.
The brands appreciated by hard-discount customers – excluding distributor brands – correspond to their socio-demographic profile: family-friendly and accessible to all. For example, 43% of customers consume the Milka brand, 43% Coca-Cola, 37% Nivea, 35% Philips, 33% Conforama and 22% Heineken.
The platforms and media that customers consume
Hard discount customers have their own food consumption habits as well as their own media habits. It is therefore interesting for hard discounters to focus on these media to communicate.
The weekly reach of the platforms and the bulk of users are concentrated on television, Internet and billboards.
The 2 favorite TV channels of hard-discounter consumers are TF1 and M6 with 50%. For video platforms, Netflix is in the lead with 42%. Nostalgie is the favorite radio station with 26%. The PQR (regional daily press) is one of the favorite titles with 28% and it is Current wife which wins in the magazine category with 10%. Unsurprisingly, Google is in the lead (59%), followed very closely by Amazon (58%). Facebook, meanwhile, is the most frequently used social network, having great power and affinity with Internet users on a daily basis.
* Epistle
Methodology of the study:
10,919,000 individuals surveyed, or 23% of those aged 18 and over
CCS Homescan 2022 reference target: customers of the Aldi or Lidl or Netto brand (at least 2 of these brands)
Source: www.e-marketing.fr
