Frugal is the new black

Six months ago an Asda survey of 2,500 shoppers showed that 40% were going to the hairdressers less fequently and sales of do-it-yourself hair dye had jumped by a third. "Frivolous is out, frugal is cool", said Asda boss Andy Bond. For many shoppers the best way to be thrifty is to stay at home. However, a few bad hair days and saving money by home dying will go out of fashion. Cheap fun treats may be frivolous but many shoppers will want these to relieve the boredom of thrift. This is an opportunity for local stores.