Worldpanel by Numerator (formerly Kantar) has posted its latest supermarket share update, finding annual grocery bills could rise by £275 as inflation accelerates.
Take-home sales at the grocers grew by 5.4% in the four weeks to 13th July compared with last year, according to the latest figures from Worldpanel by Numerator. Grocery price inflation also accelerated again, hitting the highest level since January 2024 at 5.2% in July.
Worldpanel data showed that with the average household spending £5,283 each year at the grocers, the latest rise in inflation could add £275 to bills if people’s shopping habits stay the same.
Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Worldpanel, commented: “Just under two-thirds of households say they are very concerned about the cost of their grocery shopping, and people are adapting their habits to avoid the full impact of price rises. Own label products, which are often cheaper, continue to be some of the big winners and, in fact, sales of these ranges are again outpacing brands, growing by 5.6% versus 4.9%.
“These inflationary worries aren’t just changing what we buy, but how we prepare it, too. We often see people choosing to make simpler meals when they are trying to save money, and today, almost seven in 10 dinner plates include fewer than six components.”
Worldpanel found that sales of ice cream and sorbet had “soared” by 33% amid the summer sunshine. McKevitt added: “And while not everyone is putting strawberries and cream in sandwiches just yet, Wimbledon did help get them back on shoppers’ minds, with sales shooting up by 28% and 16% respectively.”
Retailers compete for share of the market
Lidl reached a record high market share during this period at 8.3%, gaining 0.5% as it attracted more than half a million new customers to its stores.
Tesco boosted its market share to 28.3% as sales grew by 7.1%, the fastest rate since December 2023, and Sainsbury’s sales increased by 5.3% to put its market share at 15.1%.
Matching its previous share high of 2%, Ocado was again the fastest growing British grocer. Its sales rose by 11.7%, exceeding the overall online market growth rate of 5.7%. Over the past 12 weeks, online accounted for 12% of all sales at the grocers, with 23% of households making at least one virtual shopping trip.
Grocery sales at M&S were 6.5% higher than a year ago. Spending through the tills at Morrisons nudged up by 1% and it now holds 8.4% of the market, while Britain’s fourth largest grocer Aldi increased by 6.3%, bringing its share to 10.9%. Asda’s portion of the market now stands at 11.8%.
Sales at Waitrose were 5.5% higher over the 12-week period, giving the retailer a share of 4.4%. Convenience specialist Co-op takes 5.2% of the market, and frozen expert Iceland holds 2.2% of British grocery spending.
