NCA Survey Of Consumer Price Perceptions

National Consumer Agency

Shopping and Pricing Market Research Findings

August 2009Research Conducted by

2

Making Complaints

A. Research Background & Methodology B. Profile of Sample

KEY FINDINGS:

SECTION 1: Shopping and Pricing

Table of Contents

3

Making Complaints

B. Profile of Sample – I

(Base: All aged 15-74 – 1,000)

Male

Female

% % % %15-17

18-24

25-34

35-44

45-54

55-64

65-74

Married

Living as Married

Single

Wid/Div/Sep

AB

C1

C2

D

E

F50+F50-

MAIN GROCERY SHOPPER

Yes No

6

43

12

16

26

24

37

2617

10

2018

710

792

45

10

55

SEX AGE MARITAL STATUS SOCIAL CLASS

44%56%

4

Making Complaints

B. Profile of Sample – II – Internet Use

(Base: All Respondents – 1,000)

USE INTERNET

No Yes

EVER PURCHASED ONLINE

No Yes

BANKING ONLINE

No Yes

(Base: All Internet Users - 650) (Base: All Internet Users - 650)

65%35%71%

29% 49%51%

() = figures from wave 2 ’08

(64%)(36%) (42%)(58%)(34%)

(66%)

63

67

85

79

66

60

28

Male

Female

15-24

25-34

35-44

45-54

55+

% Yes

72

70

64

80

76

65

63

Male

Female

15-24

25-34

35-44

45-54

55+

% Yes

48

49

32

64

54

47

41

Male

Female

15-24

25-34

35-44

45-54

55+

% Yes

5

Making Complaints

Section 1:Shopping and Pricing

6

Making Complaints

Goods & Services Purchased in Past 12 Months – Primary

(Base: All aged 15-74 – 1,000)

Shops selling clothing or footwear

Supermarkets and newsagents

Restaurants, take-aways or hotels

Pharmacies, doctors, hospitals or other medicals

Personal care e.g. hairdressers, cosmetics

Pubs

Communications services including home phone...

Banking products and services including a current a/c

Goods & Services Purchased:Benchmark

2007

96

98

83

83

81

80

76

75

% Ever Bought

Wave 3 2009Wave 2 2008Wave 1 2008

98

98

93

89

89

85

85

82

97

95

91

87

87

82

78

72

98

98

93

90

87

85

84

83(+10%)

(+7%)

7

Making Complaints

Goods & Services Purchased in Past 12 Months – Secondary

(Base: All aged 15-74 – 1,000)

Entertainment at home e.g. DVDs, CDs, games

Petrol stations

Entertainment outside the home e.g. cinema...

Energy suppliers e.g. ESB, Bord Gais

Insurance products and services

Public transport – buses and trains

Shops selling furniture or household appliances

Goods & Services Purchased: Benchmark 2007

71

73

64

72

-

59

56

% Ever Bought

Wave 3 2009Wave 2 2008Wave 1 2008

77

76

74

70

74

61

58

75

72

71

69

64

61

59

75

76

74

71

68

64

61

(+10%)

8

Making Complaints

Goods & Services Purchased in Past 12 Months - Tertiary

(Base: All aged 15-74 – 1,000)

Local authority bin services

Airlines

TV Service Providers e.g. Sky, ntl

Education providers e.g. schools and colleges

Building and related services e.g. plumbers

Travel agents

Car dealers

Goods & Services Purchased: % Ever Bought

Wave 3 2009Wave 2 2008Wave 1 2008

Benchmark 2007

61

-

64

53

41

51

-

59

60

61

47

49

42

38

59

57

55

45

44

39

38

61

64

64

51

44

49

39

(+6%)

9

Making Complaints

44

13

8

7

6

6

4

2

2

2

29 32

46 43

13 16

912

Wave 2 '08 Wave 3 '09

Shopping Around

(Base: All aged 15-74 – 1,000)

Supermarkets & NewsagentsShops selling clothing or footwearInsurance products & servicesShops selling furniture or household appliances

Airlines

Car dealers

Petrol stations

Building and related service

Restaurants or hotels

Communications services

Comparison of prices

I always compare/shop

around for better prices

I sometimes compare/shop


%

75%

Where most likely to shop around/compare prices* %

I very rarely compare/shop

around for better pricesI never compare/shop


75%

# All others 1% or less

%

* New Question

10

Making Complaints

Awareness of Dental and GP Prices

(Base: All aged 15-74 – 1,000)

44% 56%No Yes

Dental Practice

Are you aware of the prices you will be asked to pay if you visit a .......

24%76%

No Yes

GP’s Surgery

* New Question

% %

81% women versus

69% men

81% women versus

69% men

61% women versus

49% men

61% women versus

49% men

11

Making Complaints

20

33

15

412

16

Reasonable Charges?

(Base: All aged 15-74 – 1,000)

%

Very Reasonable (5)

Reasonable (4)

Neither/Nor (3)

Unreasonable (2)

Very unreasonable (1)

Don't know

53%

* New Question

12

Making Complaints70 64

13 22

8922 12 2

5

Key Influencing Factors in Determining Where to Shop

%

Price

Strongest Influencing Factor

(Base: All Aged 15-74 – 1,000)

%

Wave 3 2009 Wave 2 2008

Convenience

Shopped there previouslyService

OtherDon’t know

13

Making Complaints

44

9

1

1

1

9

2

9

1

1

8

Biggest Influencing Factors Across Sectors – I

Supermarkets and newsagents*Shops selling clothing or footwearInsurance products & servicesCar dealers

Airlines

Petrol stationsShops selling furniture/ household appliancesBuilding & related services



Travel agents

Pubs

Price Convenience Service Having shopped there previously

% % % %

(Base: All aged 15-74 – 1,000)

# New question

42

14

7

6

5

5

5

3

2

2

2

2

–

13

6

2

4

3

4

4

4

17

6

1

6

26

14

4

4

2

3

3

3

7

3

3

5

14

Making Complaints

1

1

1

1

Biggest Influencing Factors Across Sectors – II

Entertainment at home

Personal care

Banking products & services

Pharmacies

Energy suppliers

Entertainment outside the home

TV service providers

Public transport

Local authority bin services

Education providers

Price Convenience Service Having shopped there previously

% % % %

(Base: All aged 15-74 – 1,000)

–

# New question

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

–

1

2

1

4

1

1

3

1

–

1

6

5

9

3

2

2

2

1

1

1

7

5

5

1

1

1

1

15

Making Complaints23%

9%

18%

50%

Price Comparison Sites

(Base: All who use the internet – 651)

Top 10 sectors most likely to use a product review/website to compare prices/quality#

%

Frequency of using sites

Yes, all the time

Yes, sometimes

Very rarely

No, never

Airlines

Insurance products & services

Car dealers


Shops selling furniture or household appliancesShops selling clothing or footwear

Travel Agent


Supermarkets & Newsagents

Banking products and services

%

# new question

74

55

46

45

41

36

36

32

30

30

(Base: All who sometimes/always use price comparison sites – 210)

16

Making Complaints

Overall Satisfaction with Value for Money Received from Various Sectors – I

(Base: All who had bought goods/services in the last 12 months)

17

19

16

16

14

12

14

13

13

13

11

10

7

9

8

8

8

7

7

8

6

8

4

3

4

3

4

4

3

3

2

3

338

35

38

34

38

34

30

30

34

33

3012

16

13

14

18

15

15

15

15

15

19

7

8

8

11

8

6

4

8

8

7

7

Local authority bin service (59%)

Energy suppliers (70%)

Petrol stations (78%)

Car Dealers (39%)

Pharmacies, doctors, hospitals (89%)

Banking products & Services (82%)

Insurance products & Services (74%)

Public transport (61%)

TV service providers (61%)

Shops selling furniture or household appliances (58%)

Building and related services (49%)

Neither/ Nor (4)

19

14

17

21

14

14

19

20

16

21

15

(1) (2) (3) (5) (6)

* = New Question () = % who bought goods/services in the last 12 months

% Satisfied% Dissatisfied

31

29

29

27

26

24

24

23

23

22

22

(7)

17

Making Complaints

Overall Satisfaction with Value for Money Received from Various Sectors – II


16

14

11

9

10

12

10

12

10

9

7

4

5

8

8

6

4

6

5

4

5

3

2

2

2

2

2

2

2

1

1

1

141

34

45

37

40

45

40

31

32

32

3819

22

20

19

23

26

18

21

20

19

17

9

9

9

9

8

9

8

10

10

13

11

Restaurants or Hotels 93%

Pubs (85%)

Education providers (47%)

Travel Agents (43%)

Airlines (60%)

Shops selling clothing or footwear (98%)

Communications services including home phone, mobile broadband (85%)

Entertainment outside the home (75%)

Supermarkets & Newsagents (98%)

Personal Care (89%)

Entertainment at home (77%)

Neither/ Nor (4)

12

16

18

22

17

9

21

14

12

12

14

(1) (2) (3) (5)(6)(7)



22

21

21

19

18

18

18

18

15

15

11

18

Making Complaints

Satisfaction with Customer Service Across Sectors – I


6

3

5

3

7

6

8

2

6

3

7

2

2

2

3

2

3

3

2

4

2

4

1

1

2

2

1

129

26

27

23

25

25

21

25

28

30

2924

25

26

26

22

21

21

29

21

27

218

13

11

15

10

14

19

17

11

13

15Supermarkets & Newsagents (98%)

Shops selling clothing or footwear (98%)

Restaurants or Hotels (93%)

Personal Care (89%)

Pharmacies, doctors, hospitals (89%)

Communications services including home phone, mobile broadband (85%)

Banking products & Services (82%)

Entertainment at home (77%)

Petrol stations (78%)

Entertainment outside the home (75%)

Insurance products & Services (74%)

(1) (2) (3) (5)(6)(7)


% Satisfied% Dissatisfied Don’t Know/

Neither/ Nor (4)

24

27

27

26

28

29

31

29

30

29

31

–

–

–

–

–

19

Making Complaints

Satisfaction with Customer Service Across Sectors – II


Pubs (85%)

Energy suppliers (70%)

Public transport (61%)

TV service providers (61%)

Airlines (60%)

Local authority bin service (59%)

Shops selling furniture or household appliances (58%)

Building and related services (49%)

Education providers (47%)

Travel Agents (43%)

Car Dealers (39%)

(1) (2) (3) (5)(6)(7)



3

7

7

7

6

5

4

8

5

5

6

2

4

4

4

5

4

2

5

4

4

5

1

2

2

1

1

1

2

1

29

22

20

28

30

25

27

24

28

27

2824

22

20

23

20

21

22

18

24

25

199

12

18

9

12

13

12

12

11

12

14

Don’t Know/

Neither/ Nor (4)

29

27

28

28

29

31

29

30

29

31

32

–

–

–

NCA Survey Of Consumer Price Perceptions

Business

Transcript of NCA Survey Of Consumer Price Perceptions