OVER A THIRD of Irish shoppers deliberately shop late in the evening in the hopes of snagging a bargain on produce approaching the end of its shelf life.

A study run by industry Checkout magazine has found that 36% of Irish shoppers regularly visit supermarkets late in the day to avail of such discounts.

Late in the evening, many Irish supermarkets and retailers will slash prices on food products that are close to their sell-by date and have gone through the day unsold.

The survey, which questioned 1,000 Irish shoppers regarding their purchasing habits, found that more women (39%) than men (33%) engage in the practice.

Shoppers of more advanced years tend to engage in the practice to a greater extent, with 44% of the 55+ age group interviewed arriving late to pick up goods on the cheap, compared with 25% of 18-24-year-olds and 31% of 25-34-year-olds.

“While the economic situation is improving for many consumers, the fact that 36% still regularly seek out ‘short-date’ products is an indication of the continued high demand for value in the supermarket sector,” said editor of Checkout Stephen Wynne-Jones.

Interestingly, only 21%, or one in five, of those questioned feel that ‘use-by- dates are more of a guideline than a deadline when it comes to product consumption. Female respondents tended to be more of this opinion than male.

So we know the chance we’re taking, but plug on regardless seems the lesson there.

Waste

It doesn’t appear that bargain-hunting is the sole motivation of these shoppers however – 58% of those asked said they worry about food waste in their own home, with this question again being dominated by female respondents (63%) as opposed to male (53%).

It’s a case of waste not want not with Irish consumers it seems.

Currently Ireland wastes over one million tonnes of food yearly, with up to 60% of that waste being avoidable according to food redistribution network Foodcloud.

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