// New research shows Brits would prefer to live near a Greggs than a Waitrose
// Tesco is the most popular supermarket to live by, followed by Sainsbury’s and Aldi
More Brits would prefer to live near a Greggs than a Waitrose, according to new research out today, despite the positive effect that living close to a branch of the upmarket supermarket is reported to have on house prices.
The study also reveals that Tesco is the shop most respondents would like to live near, with Boots in second position, followed closely by Sainsbury’s and Aldi.
Conducted by FirstPort, the research explored the brands Brits would most want to live near to – and with just 8% of those surveyed choosing Waitrose, the high-end grocer doesn’t even make the top ten.
Testament of the nation’s love for sausage rolls (and vegan sausage rolls, of course) more than one in six of those surveyed (15%) said they would prefer to live near the high street bakery giant.
Reflecting the trend for shopping locally, the most popular brands to have close to home were Tesco (25%), Boots (20%) and Sainsbury’s (19%). Highlighting the success of the discount retailers, Aldi was the third most popular grocery brand with nearly one in five Brits (19%) wanting to live near one.
Scoring just below Greggs were high street favourites such as Wilko (14%) and Superdrug (12%), which just missed making it into the top ten.
Top 10 retail brands Brits want to live nearby:
- Tesco (25%)
- Boots (20%)
- Sainsbury’s (19%)
- Aldi (19%)
- Marks & Spencer (17%)
- Asda (17%)
- Lidl (15%)
- Greggs (15%)
- McDonald’s (14%)
- Morissons (13%)
Read more: Greggs reveals better-than-expected post-lockdown sales recovery
When asked more generally about the kinds of places they would want to live near to, access to good independent shops, cafes and restaurants was a clear priority, with nearly two thirds (64%) saying they would prefer to live near independents than high street chains.
A third of those surveyed (33%) said a Post Office would be their main priority, with 24% opting for a local newsagent.
More than one in five (21%) also said that independent coffee shops would attract them to an area. The highest ranking of the well-known brands was Costa, which was named as the preferred choice for 12% of respondents.
“Location is essential when choosing where to live, but what does that actually mean in practice?” asked David Young, chief operating officer at FirstPort.
“Greggs performing so highly as the place Brits want to live near, shows the importance of having convenient and affordable food and drink options close to home and how it can enhance residents’ enjoyment of their area.
“It is also interesting that the research highlighted the value of independent brands and shopping local.”
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