Rising living costs continue to shape Greek consumer spending, while digital technology transforms how shoppers research products, compare prices and make purchases, according to two studies presented at the ECR GATHERING 2026 – Decoding Shopper Behavior Together event at the DAIS events venue.
Research by Circana, titled Consumption in Transition: The Forces Shaping Tomorrow’s Market, and Brands Mirror, titled Omnichannel Shopper Journey Research: The New Shopping Journey in the Phygital Era, highlights a consumer who has become more cautious, more demanding and better prepared before making a purchase.
The findings point to growing pressure on household budgets, the importance of competitive prices and the increasing integration of physical stores and online shopping channels.
Cost-of-living pressures drive consumer decisions
Economic pressures continue to affect Greek households. According to Circana, 74% of consumers manage their finances with difficulty or exercise particular caution, while the average financial security index stands at just 3.89 out of 10.
Meanwhile, 57% say they worry about the relationship between earnings and the cost of living.
Housing expenses represent another major source of financial pressure. Consumers are responding by cutting spending on non-essential categories, including entertainment and clothing, as they try to maintain control of household budgets.
Finding the best price has become a key factor when choosing where to shop. Consumers compare offers, check prices per kilogram, litre or item, and plan purchases more carefully.
This trend has also boosted private-label products, which 63% of consumers buy frequently, although preferences vary across product categories. Shoppers turn to these products to save money without abandoning branded goods altogether.
Supermarkets continue to enjoy comparatively high levels of consumer trust. Circana recorded an average trust score of 4.48 out of seven for supermarket chains, the highest among the retail sectors examined in the study.
Consumers spend an average of €347 a month on supermarket shopping, underlining the sector’s importance to household budgets.
Despite financial pressures, Greeks continue to seek social experiences and leisure activities. Circana found that 60% plan to take a holiday this year. Consumers also eat out an average of 4.3 times a week and visit food retailers 2.6 times a week.
Artificial intelligence and corporate responsibility gain attention
Familiarity with artificial intelligence is increasing, particularly among younger consumers. Circana recorded an AI familiarity score of 3.63 out of five, with consumers mainly using the technology to search for information and identify promotions or better purchasing options.
AI is therefore beginning to serve as an additional tool for supporting consumer decisions.
Corporate social responsibility initiatives also gain greater value when companies demonstrate tangible, measurable results. Consumers place particular importance on reducing plastic use, recycling and cutting food waste.
Physical stores and online shopping increasingly work together
The Brands Mirror study identifies a growing hybrid shopping culture in which physical stores and digital channels complement rather than compete with each other.
Only 36.3% of consumers make most of their purchases in physical stores, while 40.3% divide their shopping more evenly between online and offline channels. Another 23.3% mainly shop online.
Furthermore, 86.2% say they have switched between online and physical channels during the same shopping journey.
This behaviour reflects the growth of phygital retail, which combines physical and digital experiences. Consumers may research products online and then buy them in a store, or follow the reverse path.
Shopping journeys vary considerably. The study found that 33.7% of consumers bought directly from a physical store without researching the product beforehand, while 9.2% purchased directly online.
Another 27.7% followed an entirely digital journey, researching and purchasing products online. A further 28.3% combined both channels, most commonly through the ROPO approach — Research Online, Purchase Offline — in which shoppers research products online before buying them in a physical store.
These findings reveal two broad purchasing patterns: spontaneous purchases without extensive preparation and planned purchases involving research and comparison. The same consumer may adopt either approach depending on the product, personal needs and market conditions.
Physical stores retain their importance for food shopping
Despite the expansion of digital channels, physical stores remain central to food shopping.
The Brands Mirror study found that 45% of consumers prefer to research food products in physical stores, where they can examine items directly before buying them.
Meanwhile, 31% research food both online and offline, while 24% rely exclusively on online information.
The results suggest that digital information does not fully replace the physical shopping experience for food. Consumers continue to value the opportunity to see, examine and select products themselves.
Prices, discounts and reviews influence purchases
Price ranks as the most important purchasing factor, cited by 92% of respondents. Discounts follow at 79.1%, while product reviews influence 42.3%.
Other considerations include the convenience of purchasing and delivery at 29.7%, product availability at 24.3%, loyalty programmes at 17.7% and the overall shopping experience at 14.9%.
Price and promotions also lead the factors that encourage repeat purchases, accounting for 78% of responses. Customer service follows at 42.3%, convenience at 31.7% and speed at 21.4%.
Retail apps help bridge digital and physical shopping
Retail applications strengthen the connection between online and in-store shopping, with financial savings providing the main incentive.
The study found that 65.6% of consumers use retail apps at least occasionally, while 23.6% use them frequently.
Another 38.2% say these applications help them connect online and offline shopping to a great or very great extent.
The most common use involves activating promotions and coupons, reported by 58% of respondents. Other uses include preparing for store visits (33.1%), checkout and loyalty card functions (28.3%), post-purchase activities (24.6%) and in-store features (21.7%).
Personalised product recommendations also gain acceptance when they offer clear financial benefits. Some 65.6% of consumers find recommendations genuinely useful when they include a better price or coupon, while 23.2% respond positively to suggestions based on previous purchases.
However, consumers often ignore recommendations when they are searching for a specific product (46.3%), when suggestions appear overly promotional (39.7%) or when they fail to meet their needs (36.8%).
Consumers remain cautious about AI-powered shopping
Artificial intelligence has yet to gain widespread acceptance as a shopping adviser.
Only 14% of respondents say they benefit most from using AI in this role, while 29.9% express reservations and 12.2% report a negative attitude. The remaining 43.9% describe themselves as neutral or partly satisfied.
Transparency also matters. Some 53.3% want to understand why a system recommends a particular product.
Consumers remain reluctant to let AI make automatic or repeat purchases of essential goods. Only 20.8% accept this approach, which receives an average rating of 2.44.
The findings suggest that shoppers may welcome digital tools that help them save money and make informed choices but remain cautious about handing purchasing decisions over to automated systems.
Product availability remains critical for brand loyalty
Product availability continues to influence sales and brand loyalty. According to Brands Mirror, retailers lose sales for a particular brand in 42.9% of cases when a product is unavailable.
Another 28.5% of consumers switch to a competing product, while 14.4% choose a product from a different category.
In a further 16.1% of cases, consumers abandon the purchase altogether. However, 41% choose to wait until the product becomes available again.
The results underline the importance of maintaining stock availability alongside competitive pricing, convenient shopping experiences and relevant digital services.
Together, the two studies show how Greek retailers must respond to increasingly price-conscious consumers who expect both value for money and a seamless experience across physical and digital channels.
(Source: AMNA)
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