Market research firm Kantar has reported a rise in grocery take-home sales as the rate of inflation sits at 1.7%
Kantar found that grocery take-home sales had risen by 3% over the four weeks to 1st September compared with a year ago, and grocery inflation now stands at 1.7% for the same period.
Tesco remained the largest retailer, taking 27.8% of sales, up 0.6% on the year. Sainsbury’s improved its market share to reach 15.2%, while Asda and Morrisons achieved a 12.6% and 8.5% market share respectively.
Online grocer Ocado was reported to be the fastest growing grocer for seven consecutive months, with sales up by 12.9% since May 2021. It boasted a 0.2% increase in market share to reach 1.8%.
Lidl sales now account for 8% of the grocery market, while Aldi experienced a rise of 1.3% in consumer spending. Waitrose achieved a 4.6% market share, as Iceland kept its share at 2.3% and Co-op took 5.9% of sales.
Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, said: “Despite grocery price inflation easing back to 1.7% over the last four weeks, shoppers’ financial confidence hasn’t risen with it. Memories of the last two years remain strong, with nearly 60% of shoppers still very or extremely concerned about rising grocery prices. This is their second biggest financial worry, only behind home energy bills.
“Retailers have been doing their bit to help shoppers keep the cost of the weekly shop down, and the proportion of sales on promotion increased year-on-year for the 16th month in a row in August. More than half of all grocery trips include some kind of deal, and this proportion rises as the trolley gets bigger.”
Gravy sales see decline over 15 years
McKevitt said: “An Oasis ticket wasn’t the only thing the country was queuing up for this month – several British staples have become even more popular today than they were 15 years ago.
“We’re buying more oven chips now than the same four week period back in 2009, with a supersonic sales jump of 44% by volume… gravy sales have dipped slightly though, with the proportion of people buying gravy over the month dropping by 8% in comparison to the same month in 2009.”
Kantar said retailers and brands were waiting to see how the Chancellor’s Autumn Budget would potentially impact household incomings and outgoings.
