Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.

The purpose of this study was to obtain information about the shopping habits of younger housewives (under 35 years old) and to assess their attitudes towards a number of topics concerning the home and shopping environment.

Main Topics:

Attitudinal/Behavioural Questions: Consumer durables (washing machine, fridge, freezer, dishwasher), where kept, reasons for not keeping in kitchen, satisfaction with size/storage space/design of kitchen. Frequency of shopping for food, type of store, means of transport, car ownership, whether shop in freezer centres. Weekly expenditure on food, weekly expenditure on frozen food, suggested improvements in food stores. Respondents asked to agree/disagree with a number of statements about shopping/freezer centres. Whether husband accompanies respondent when shopping, influence/interest displayed over shopping by husband/children. Comparison of food available today with twenty years ago, expectation of buying more convenience foods (tinned, frozen and packeted), information manufacturers should put on the pack. Knowledge of level of inflation over last year/inflation in relation to food prices, whether increase in amount of housekeeping has kept pace with inflation, financial situation at present compared to 2 years ago, ways in which respondent thinks food manufacturers have coped with rising prices. Opinion/knowledge of change to metric system, opinion/knowledge of consumer protection organisations.Background variables: Age, class, number of children, total persons in household, employment status, age finished full-time education, annual household income, tenure of residence.

Quota sample

Multi-stage stratified random sample

Face-to-face interview