In fact, wealthy shoppers in the survey were more likely than the average shopper to say they will continue to pre-plan their shopping trips in the coming year.
Pre-planning shopping trips is the most ingrained money-saving behavior that has become more widely used since the recession , according to Susan Viamari, a consumer insights expert at SymphonyIRI.
Making a plan before heading to the store suggests wealthier consumers — or those with household incomes of more than $100,000 — have a stricter approach to spending money than the average consumer.
However, more than half (58 percent) of wealthier shoppers make unplanned purchases after seeing products and deals at the store, SymphonyIRI found.
They also are more likely than the average shopper to try new products, so that even with a more thoughtful approach to spending, there are opportunities for retailers and consumer packaged-goods companies
The biggest opportunity may be to create products that appeal to the wealthy's new frugality by being less expensive than services they used in the past, but are either more indulgent or of higher-quality than products currently in the mass market.
For example, 34 percent of wealthier consumers are making fewer trips to the spa and hair salon to save money and live within their budget, Symphony IRI found. However, 23 percent said they were using more at-home beauty treatments. To appeal to these shoppers, beauty companies may want to add more premium hair color or skin care treatments that will appeal to shoppers who want salon-style results.