Designer and bargains a must

FORGET brand loyalty, customer promiscuity is now the name of the game on the High Street. That's the stark message for stores struggling with fast-changing shopping habits.

Britons are just as happy to mix their Oxfam bargains with the latest designer couture, according to a major new survey by, thisismoney.co.uk, carried out by the Consumer Analysis Group.

David Southwell, spokesman for the British Retail Consortium, said the research shows brand loyalty has become a meaningless concept.

'Ideas of value, mid-market and luxury don't exist because shoppers flit between them promiscuously. It's a major challenge for retailers.'

While 80% of shoppers regularly buy at the luxury end of the market, they also quibble about paying over the odds for everyday items. This pick 'n' mix approach is bad news for companies in the middle ground, such as Marks & Spencer, which rely on brand loyalty.

Almost half of those surveyed said they are equally likely to shop at the top or bottom end of the market.

The old prejudices preventing the well-off from bargain hunting or the not-so-wealthy from treating themselves are being eroded.

Retail analyst Rhys Williams at stockbroker Seymour Pierce said the figures show that success does not depend on being cheapest, but having the right product at the right price.

'Your mother might once have dressed top to toe in M&S, but now she goes to where the right product is. If she finds something cheap but good quality, she'll buy it.'

The survey also found that 88% of shoppers who liked a particular garment would not care whether it had a designer label or was a value brand at Tesco.

Neil Mason, senior retail analyst at research group Mintel, says that greater choice is fuelling the change.

'It's a crowded market,' he said. 'People have graduated to the value end because quality is better but higher levels of disposable income mean they aren't afraid of buying high fashion when they see it.

'Look at the George range in Asda or Cherokee at Tesco to see how people can get good quality at great prices.'