26 • March | April 2026 • abasto.com • ECONOMY FOCUS Innovation drives consumer trial and repeat purchases only when the price reduces risk. Price as a Driver of Product Innovation in Retail BY HERNANDO RAMÍREZ-SANTOS I n the supermarket, product innovation does not compete only against other brands. Above all, it competes against habit. The average consumer is satisfied with what they already buy and do not actively seek change. However, when the price is right, curiosity overcomes inertia. According to a study by 84.51° , a firm specializing in data science and retail analysis, consumers buy new products on only 3 of 10 supermarket trips. Even so, 68% of households say they are open to trying innovative products. The key, then, is not just to launch some- thing different, but to make it accessible. What Shoppers Understand by Innovation For consumers, innovation does not mean reinventing the wheel. According to 84.51°, 88% of shoppers consider a di- fferent flavor within an existing brand to be “new.” Seasonal editions ( 56% ) and new product attributes or claims ( 44% ) also carry weight. Furthermore, novelty has an expiration date. 51% consider a product no longer new after 6 months on the market. After that time, it competes with other SKUs. This forces brands and retailers to treat innovation as a continuous process rather than an isolated event. The Moment of Decision Price appears to be both the main dete- rrent and the biggest trigger for trying so- mething new. Before entering the store, 80% of sho- ppers already know how much they can spend. In contrast, only 21% decide in ad- vance whether they will buy something new. Most make that decision at the shelf , where price, promotion, and visibility make the difference. The price tipping point The study identifies a clear threshold. When a new product costs the same as the usual one, only 23% choose it. With a 5% discount, purchase intent rises, but the real jump occurs at 10%. Graph 1 . Discount and purchase decision I know what to expect from what I always buy,and I don’t want to gamble on something I might not like.” - Consumer quoted by 84.51° “High price is the main barrier to trying something new,” concludes 84.51° in its December 2025 analysis. Regular price 5% less 10% less 20% less 25% less 23% 40% 60% 77% 81% • Continues on page 28