New research reveals British couples’ most annoying shopping habits and the grocery gripes that cause most tension in households up and down the country.
A study of 2,000 adults found the biggest bugbears around the weekly shop for couples include forgetting to buy an item that was specifically requested (35%), not saying when you’ve used up the last of an item (28%), leaving empty packets in cupboards (27%), putting groceries away in the wrong cupboards (25%) and not putting the shopping away (21%).
The always-forgotten items most likely to get couples in a flap include bin bags (21%), toothpaste (16%), tinfoil (15%), toilet roll (14%) and kitchen roll (13%).
Such is the tension over shopping for boring basics, 50% of Brits say they would NEVER trust their partner to do the grocery shop without input from them, although interestingly 73% of Brits say they are solely responsible for the shop – so it sounds like ‘the big shop’ can be a big bone of contention.
The research was commissioned by Bother, the smart shopping service for next day delivery of cupboard basics, like loo roll, laundry powder also revealed whilst there are plenty of big shop bugbears, Brits put their own dislikes to one side in the name of (cupboard) love, with Marmite and peanut butter amongst the top items that people hate but buy for their partner because they know they like them.
However, there are some boring basics Brits find a real turn off, including sardines (19%), anchovies (19%), or spam (19%). And awkward shopping moments for couples include buying fungal creams (21%), lubricant (16%) and condoms (14%) – all of which Brits say they’re embarrassed to buy in front of a partner, particularly Londoners (24%).
“Shopping for boring household basics shouldn’t be a source of tension. From forgetting items to being too embarrassed to buy them, to remembering the items your other half likes and you don’t, shopping is a task we all spend far too much time on. Our service helps take a load off your mind and spend less time thinking – or arguing – about grocery shopping and more time doing the things you want to.”
Douglas Morton, founder of Bother
