Most people forget to buy what they went to shop for

MOST people admit to going to the shops for a specific item but coming home without it.

People get distracted and forget what they went out for and end up buying something else, new research shows. Many people say they often go to the shops just to get out of the home, a survey on the psychology of shopping commissioned by retail marketing agency V360 shows.

The research found 92pc of people end up coming home without the item they intended to buy before they set off. This is something that half of those surveyed say they do on a regular basis.

Nine out of 10 of us admit to buying something different than we had originally planned on purchasing after we were exposed to in-store advertising. This is not just a one off, as nearly half of us claim to do this on a regular basis.

Free samples work too, with eight out of 10 people owning up to buying food or drink after getting a free sample. We love to shop, with people saying they make up to eight visits to a supermarket every month. An average of 34 minutes is spent in the retail outlet each time, working out at two days a year inside a supermarket.

V360, a shopper marketing agency, questioned 1,026 people about their shopping habits. The agency analyses shopper behaviours and trends, and shares these insights with brands and retailers.

Some seven out of 10 people say they have gone to a supermarket just to get out of the house for a while. This is especially common in those aged under 35, with eight out of 10 of them saying they have done this.