Euros bolster supermarket sales while inflation dips

According to latest data from Kantar, take-home grocery sales were on the up in the four weeks to 7 July and rose by 2.2 percent, coinciding with the quarter-final round of the men’s UEFA European Football Championship.

Consumers were spotted purchasing an average of 13 percent more beer on the days that England played in the Euros. As well as this sales of crisps and snacks were also on the rise and improves by 5 percent.

“England’s hopes might have been dashed on Sunday, but there was still some cause for celebration in the grocery industry,” said Fraser McKevitt, Head of Retail and Consumer Insight at Kantar.

“With many matches played on “school nights”, though, some Britons chose moderation. Spending on no and low-alcohol beer soared by 38 percent on matchdays,” continued McKevitt.

Looking at grocery price inflation, Kantar revealed that the figure fell to 1.6 percent which is the lowest the figure has been since September 2021.

With football matches being screened all over the UK, Britons made two percent more trips to the supermarket this period than they did one year ago.

Looking at item sales, branded products seemed to prove popular, with sales rising by 3.6 percent while sales of own-label items increased by 2.7 percent.

 “The retail landscape looks very different from 2010 when the last Labour government was in power – and so do our shopping trolleys. As diets have evolved, sales of popcorn, peanut butter and chilled vegetarian products, such as sausages and grills, have more than trebled. We’re also more likely to have premium ground and bean coffee in our cups now,” stated McKevitt.

UK consumers visiting supermarkets less

But what retailer were consumers opting for? According to Kantar, Ocado was the fastest growing grocer for the fifth month in a row, with sales up by 10.7 percent during the 12 weeks to 7 July.

Meanwhile, discount retailer Lidl’s sales were up by 7.8 percent, and its share of the market now sits at 8.1 percent.