97% Of Portuguese Prefer Physical Stores, 22% Shop Online, Study Finds

A new study by In-Store Media and Nielsen revealed increased spending both online and in-store, driven by consumers seeking value for money.

Supermarkets and hypermarkets continue to be the preferred grocery shopping formats. Hypermarkets saw a small increase in customer reach (1.6%), while supermarkets experienced a 1.1% rise in the average amount spent per purchase.

Conversely, wholesale retailers saw slight declines in both customer reach (-0.8%) and total sales (-0.5%).

Online shoppers prioritised promotions (12%) and lower delivery costs (11%), while brick-and-mortar shoppers valued quality and price (22%) and convenient location (15%).

Consumer Trends

Consumer spending increased in both online and physical stores. While the average cost per purchase did not change, people shopped more often, especially at brick-and-mortar stores (more than three times a week versus once a month online).

Online purchases averaged at €51 – twice the average of offline purchases (€22).

Shoppers demonstrated strong brand loyalty for coffee (43%), pet food (39%), and beer (35%).

In contrast, categories like snacks (11%), organic food (9%), and prepared meals (7%) saw less loyalty and more price sensitivity, particularly for snacks/chips (71%) and sweets/chocolate (70%).

Coffee (28%) and beer (26%) buyers were less impacted by promotions.

Store brands saw a significant presence in hygiene and cleaning products (92%) and prepared meals (91%), often serving as a trusted alternative for consumers.

Finally, the research identified four distinct consumer segments: engaged shoppers (a young demographic aged 18-35, influenced by social media), deal seekers (promotion-driven, mainly women in the age group of 35-55 years), attentive shoppers (research-focused, aged 55-65), and constrained shoppers (price-sensitive, prefer private labels, also 55-65 years old).

ESM