2 minute read
Grocery Sales
by 55 North
Convenience channel outperforms supermarkets
The data highlights the change in consumer behaviour, as they spend more time on the go, and are reverting to shopping little and more often.
The convenience channel outperformed supermarkets in the four weeks ending 21 May, with a 3.7% growth in sales, and now accounts for 24% of all FMCG sales, according to new NielsenIQ data.
NielsenIQ says the increase in the channel highlights the change in consumer behaviour, as consumers spend more time on the go, at work or socialising, and are reverting to shopping “little and more often”.
Total Till UK grocery sales rebounded to +0.6% over the four-week period, the first sign of positive growth since the Christmas 2021 period.
The data also shows that shoppers spent 1.2% less at UK supermarkets than in the previous four weeks, down to £10bn. Meanwhile, online sales fell 15% in the past four weeks, but this is a reflection of Covid-19 comparatives in the previous year.
NielsenIQ says the cost-of-living crisis is causing consumers to “shop around” for the best prices and its data shows that it is visits to stores (+7% year-on-year) that is driving Total Till growth and the improvement in bricks and mortar sales (+2%).
The overall growth in sales was also helped by a 2.3% increase in the week ending 21 May, as UK shoppers prepared for the school holidays and the long bank holiday Jubilee weekend, with 20% of households expected to buy extra groceries for the Jubilee weekend.
In the past four weeks, there has been a strong increase in sales for pet and pet care products (+11.9%), soft drinks (+11.2%) with sports and energy drinks sales increasing 21%, and health, beauty and baby care products (+10.4%).
The categories with the biggest declines were beers, wines and spirits (-12.1%) due to Covid-19 comparatives, as well as meat, fish and poultry (-4.7%).
