Middle-class shoppers flock to cheap supermarkets to make ends meet "Severe cutbacks are evident across all [social] groups, with many now cutting right back to the bone, changing where they do their food shopping and even reducing it dramatically," she said. Consumers appear to be flocking to cheap supermarkets to reduce the cost of their weekly shop as inflation continues to rise. Recent figures from the supermarket industry show that so-called "deep discount" retailers Aldi and Lidl - which sell cheap food in no-frills shops - saw their share of the grocery market grow by 26 per cent and 12 per cent respectively over the three months to August. This growth is far outpacing the growth seen by larger rivals such as Asda, Tesco and Sainsbury's. Middle-class shoppers are also increasing their use of money-off coupons and vouchers to help pay for the weekly shop, recent research from industry body the IGD showed. AXA also found that one in ten middle-class households have stopped paying bills until the final demand arrives, showing that "even the very wealthiest parts of the population" are feeling the squeeze, Ms Toner said. The report found that three in ten people across all social groups have cut back on food spending, up from two in ten in December, and a quarter are spending less on gas, electricity and petrol. Four in ten wealthy people in their 50s and 60s admitted that they are going out less often to save money, while a third are buying less on clothes and shoes. "Consumers are feeling increasingly desperate about their finances and even those seemingly "untouchable" by the continuing crisis are now feeling the pinch," said Ms Toner.