Trust has become the latest victim of the supermarket price war, as exclusive research reveals 82% of shoppers don't trust price comparison adverts.
Polling specialists YouGov asked 2,127 adults whether they trusted supermarket ads and deals. Only 14% said they believed some or all supermarket price claims, while 50% said specific claims might be true but did not tell the full story. Some 32% said they did not generally believe supermarket ads.
The mistrust extends instore: 29% of shoppers generally trust special offers, while 55% believe some are not genuine and 14% generally don't trust deals.
The crisis of confidence follows a string of rulings against supermarket advertising. Tesco's flagship Britain's Biggest Discounter and Real Baskets campaigns were this month criticised by the ASA after complaints from Aldi and Asda respectively.
Morrisons' basket comparisons were also disputed by the ASA while national media picked up The Grocer's report that one in five of Asda's round-pound lines used to sell for less.
This week the ASA revealed the number of upheld complaints about the big four's advertising had rocketed: the big four had 12 complaints upheld against them in the past 18 months compared with just seven in the preceding four years.
Retailers were quick to suggest their own shoppers still had their confidence. Sainsbury's said internal research showed consumers had high levels of trust in the brand.
"Customers' price perception at Sainsbury's has seen significant improvement in the past 12 months," said a spokeswoman.
Asda, on the other hand, stressed it was the only retailer to have been judged cheapest retailer by The Grocer's independent Grocer 33 basket comparison for 12 years running, and said other retailers' price claims were not believed for that reason.
Tesco declined to comment.
Polling specialists YouGov asked 2,127 adults whether they trusted supermarket ads and deals. Only 14% said they believed some or all supermarket price claims, while 50% said specific claims might be true but did not tell the full story. Some 32% said they did not generally believe supermarket ads.
The mistrust extends instore: 29% of shoppers generally trust special offers, while 55% believe some are not genuine and 14% generally don't trust deals.
The crisis of confidence follows a string of rulings against supermarket advertising. Tesco's flagship Britain's Biggest Discounter and Real Baskets campaigns were this month criticised by the ASA after complaints from Aldi and Asda respectively.
Morrisons' basket comparisons were also disputed by the ASA while national media picked up The Grocer's report that one in five of Asda's round-pound lines used to sell for less.
This week the ASA revealed the number of upheld complaints about the big four's advertising had rocketed: the big four had 12 complaints upheld against them in the past 18 months compared with just seven in the preceding four years.
Retailers were quick to suggest their own shoppers still had their confidence. Sainsbury's said internal research showed consumers had high levels of trust in the brand.
"Customers' price perception at Sainsbury's has seen significant improvement in the past 12 months," said a spokeswoman.
Asda, on the other hand, stressed it was the only retailer to have been judged cheapest retailer by The Grocer's independent Grocer 33 basket comparison for 12 years running, and said other retailers' price claims were not believed for that reason.
Tesco declined to comment.
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