The high inflation has noticeably changed the spending behavior of people in Germany.
As the market research company GfK reported on Thursday, consumers are tightening their belts for everyday goods such as groceries or personal care products.
When it comes to travel, however, no savings will be made this summer.
When it comes to textiles, cheaper products are preferred.
"The effects of inflation are particularly evident in everyday products such as groceries or personal care products," the market researchers explained.
Overall, this area recorded a large decline in volume in the months from January to May.
8.2 percent less meat and sausage products, 8.5 percent less fresh fruit or vegetables and 7 percent less baked goods were bought.
Special offers are bought more often
But it's not just buying less.
Special offers or the manufacturer's own brands are also used more frequently.
The share of own brands in total sales grew by 34.6 percent in the first quarter.
For 36 percent of people, the price is currently the most important criterion when making a purchase decision.
According to GfK, while everyday products saw a sharp drop in volume, the travel industry developed in the opposite direction.
After more than two years of the corona pandemic, consumers have a lot of catching up to do.
The booking figures for private vacation trips in the current summer season are comparable to the last pre-pandemic year 2019, in some cases they even exceeded it.
Textile discounters are doing well
There was also a backlog of demand when it came to clothing during the pandemic.
At the moment, buyers are apparently trying to deliberately avoid inflation.
The average price paid was slightly below that of May 2019. According to the market researchers, there are two strategies behind this: consumers buy cheaper products in specialist shops or switch to other sales channels with lower prices.
The textile discounters were happy about a two-digit increase in sales.