UK Supermarkets Had a Bumper Christmas

“Supermarkets
saw
their
highest
level
of
transactions
in
December
since
2019,”
it
said.

“Britons
made
488
million
trips
to
the
supermarkets
over
the
four
weeks
to
24
December
–
12
million
more
than
last
year
and
the
largest
number
at
Christmas
since
pre-pandemic
times.”

The
news
comes
with
hopes
that
inflation
is
continuing
to
ease.
Annual
grocery
price
inflation
in
December
decreased
to
6.7%
from
9.1%
in
the
four
weeks
to
November
26,
and
December’s
figure
was
the
tamest
since
April
2022
–
and
the
sharpest
monthly
slowdown
Kantar
has
ever
recorded.

Should
Shoppers
Still
be
Concerned
About
Inflation?

Analyst
Fraser
McKevitt
says
shoppers
are
still
facing
a
grim
time
totting
up
their
totals
at
the
tills.

“The
rate
of
inflation
is
coming
down
at
the
fastest
pace
we
have
ever
recorded,
but
consumers
are
still
facing
pretty
hefty
pressures
on
their
budgets,”
he
says.

“Retailers
were
clearly
working
hard
during
the
festive
period
to
offer
best
value
and
win
over
shoppers,
and
promotions
were
central
to
their
strategy.
Nearly
one
third
of
all
spend
in
the
four
weeks
to
Christmas
Eve
was
made
on
items
with
some
kind
of
offer,
the
highest
level
since
December
2020
and
GBP823
million
more
than
last
year.”

For
the
full
12
weeks
of
the
survey,
the
grocery
inflation
rate
eased
to
8.1%
from
9.6%
in
the
previous
12-week
period.

By
UK
market
share,
Tesco
[TSCO]
remained
the
largest
grocer.
Its
share
edged
up
to
27.6%
during
the
recent
12
weeks
from
27.5%
a
year
before.
Sales
rose
7.5%
to
£10.07
billion.

Sainsbury’s
[SBRY],
meanwhile,
recorded
market
share
growth
to
15.8%
from
15.5%.
Its
sales
were
9.3%
higher
at
£5.77
billion.

“The
traditional
retailers
always
tend
to
do
well
in
the
run
up
to
Christmas
and
this
year
was
no
exception,”
McKevitt
notes.

“Supermarkets
saw
especially
strong
performances
for
their
own-label
lines,
with
sales
of
premium
ranges
like
Sainsbury’s

Taste
the
Difference
and
Tesco’s

Finest lines
surging
by
11.9%
compared
with
last
year,
hitting
£790
million,
and
accounting
for
5.7%
of
all
grocery
sales.
Branded
sales
rose
by
6.0%
during
the
same
period.”

Ocado
[OCDO]
sales
were
5.5%
higher
at
£620
million.
Its
market
share
was
unmoved
at
1.7%.
The
online-only
grocery
firm
is
a
joint-venture
between
Ocado
Group
and
Marks
&
Spencer
Group
[MKS].

Tesco
shares
were
up
1.3%
to £2.97 each
in
London
on
Wednesday
morning.
Sainsbury’s
shares
were
1.7%
higher
at
303.90p.
Ocado
traded
1.6%
lower
at
£7.27,
while
M&S
was
up
1.4%
at
£2.78.

Did
Aldi
and
Lidl
Beat
Their
Mainstream
Rivals?

Aldi
and
Lidl
also
recorded
market
share
growth.
Aldi,
which
is
the
UK’s
fifth-most-popular
supermarket,
achieved
a
market
share
of
9.3%,
up
from
9.1%.
Lidl’s
market
share
shot
up
to
7.7%
from
7.2%.
Aldi
recorded
sales
growth
of
9.9%,
while
Lidl
saw
a
14%
jump.

Yesterday
the
discounting
duo
revealed
record
Christmas
trading
in
the
UK.
Aldi
hailed
its
“best
ever”
Christmas
performance,
with
UK
sales
of
more
than
£1.5
billion
for
the
first
time
in
the
month
leading
up
to
Christmas.

The
chain,
which
has
more
than
1,010
stores
across
the
UK,
said
sales
rose
by
8%
on
a
year
before
in
the
four
weeks
to
December
24.
Its
fellow
German-owned
rival
Lidl
also
claimed
its
best
Christmas
yet,
reporting
annual
UK
sales
growth
of
12%
in
the
four
weeks
to
December
24.

By
Eric
Cunha,
Alliance
News
news
editor

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