Brexit hits the high street: new data shows UK’s most Leave and Remain supermarkets
With the Tesco/Unilever spat moving the Brexit battle from Westminster to the high street, new research has revealed how customers of different supermarkets diverge when it comes to how they view leaving the EU.
The analysis from YouGov following a poll of more than 100,000 consumers, found that Iceland had by far the highest proportion of Leave voters in its customer base, with nearly two thirds of those who voted in the EU referendum having voted for Brexit.
At the other end of the spectrum, Ocado’s customers were shown to be the most Remain-oriented, with 64% having voted to stay in the EU. However, the Co-operative was the physical supermarket chain with the highest proportion of Remain voters, at 60%.
Despite their German origins, discount supermarket chains Lidl and Aldi were both shown to have customer bases that tend towards Brexit. With a customer base of 52% Leave voters and 48% Remain voters, Lidl’s base was closest to that of the voting public, whilst Aldi’s shoppers were found to be more Eurosceptic at 54% Leave/46% Remain.
Matthew Smith of YouGov said: “The short-lived spat between Tesco and Unilever highlighted the ways in which how someone voted at the EU referendum is dividing the country. How a person voted during the EU referendum is no longer simply a dividing line between voting groups – it is also one between consumer groups.
“It matters that supermarkets and brands are aware of the political sensibilities of their customers.
“Tesco were lucky to be able to spread the blame on Marmite, but with months and years of Brexit uncertainty this probably won’t be the last fight over who bears the costs of Brexit. Supermarkets and brands alike will need to be prepared.”
