UK food and drink sales surge over Christmas

(Sharecast News) - Household grocery spending hit a record high over Christmas, industry data showed on Tuesday, as shoppers snapped up festive food and drink.

According to retail consultancy Kantar, average household spending on take-home groceries was £460. Sales sparked 2.1% in the four weeks to 29 December.

There was strong demand for more expensive goods over the festive period, with sales of branded goods growing 4.2% and premium own-label by 14.6%.

Footfall also jumped in December, making it the busiest month for retailers since the pre-lockdown rush seen in March 2020.

However, grocery price inflation ticked higher, to 3.7%, the highest since last March. Prices rose fastest in chilled smoothies and juices, chocolate and skincare.

Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, said: "It was a solid Christmas for the supermarkets, with sales surpassing £13bn during the four weeks of December for the first time ever, showing people were clearly in the mood to celebrate and spend.

"In contrast to reports of disappointing footfall across the rest of the high street, it was a very different story in the world of grocery."

Among individual retailers, sales at hard discounters Aldi and Lidl rose by 2.9% and 6.6% respectively in the 12 weeks to 29 December.

As a result, their respective market shares over the Christmas period reached 7.3% and 10%, their highest ever.

The only grocer to beat Lidl's sales growth was online-only Ocado, which saw sales grow 9.6%.

Sales at Tesco - the UK's biggest grocer - jumped 5%, giving it a market share of 28.5%. At J Sainsbury sales improved by 3.5% and by 2.1% at upmarket chain Waitrose.

But Asda and Morrisons fare less well. At Morrisons, sales ticked up just 0.4%, while at Asda they slid 5.8%.

At Marks & Spencer, which Kantar does not define as a pure play grocer, spending on food and drink rose by 8.7%.