Irish grocery sales growth has more than doubled last month as grocery inflation has hit a new high at 16.4%, latest figures by Kantar published today (Monday, March 6), have shown.
Record-breaking inflation rather than more consumption has led to a 10.2% rise in value sales, with take-home grocery sales growth more than doubling in the four weeks until February 19.
Irish consumers are coping with the increased cost of living by shopping little and often, as the volume per trip fell by 10.9%, while frequency rose by 7%, Kantar figures show.
Shoppers spent an additional €113.56/buyer in the 12 weeks until February 19, compared to the same period last year, with take-home grocery sales up by 8.5%
Commenting on the current rate of inflation – based on over 30,000 identical products compared year-on-year and purchased at constant shopping behaviour – senior retail analyst, Emer Healy said:
“This time last year it was 2.4% so a significant 14% increase within 12 months. In a year of rising costs and sky-high inflation, Irish consumers are looking for ways to manage their household budgets.
“This has led to the Irish grocery market becoming more competitive than ever, with shoppers looking for the best deals among the retailers.”
Grocery shopping
Recent shortages of fruit and vegetables have seen consumers spend €2.3 million more on vegetables, however volumes dropped by 9.5% – particularly of cucumbers (-17.2%) and tomatoes (-8.9%).
On Valentine’s Day shoppers spent an additional €1.2 million on wine; €1.5 million on chilled desserts; €3.8 million on chilled ready meals; and an extra €326,000 on gifting chocolate.
Sales of flour, eggs, butter, and chocolate spread saw increases of 11.9%, 29.6%, 19.5% and 55.5% respectively, as Irish consumers celebrated Pancake Tuesday.
Irish shoppers are yet to stock up on Easter eggs as sales of seasonal chocolate have dropped by 29% year-on-year, according to Kantar figures.
Consumers seeking ways to save has led to much stronger own-label growth at 11.9%, compared to brands at 6.1% growth. The value share of own-label products is now at 45%.
Retailers’ very cheapest products, value own-label lines, saw the strongest growth at 35.8%, with shoppers spending €19 million more on these ranges, according to Kantar.
Online sales recorded an increase of 5.2% with shoppers spending an additional €8 million on groceries online over the 12-week period. Nearly 18% of Irish households now purchase online.
Dunnes continues to hold the highest market share at 23.6%, followed closely by Tesco at 22.9%; SuperValu (20.8%); Lidl (12.6%); and Aldi (11.7%), Kantar figures show.