Data from NielsenIQ for The Grocer’s Top Products 2021 survey shows some lockdown shopping behaviours have continued to persist amongst consumers in the UK. However, almost two years into the pandemic, shopper trends are still evolving with people gravitating to certain brands and products.
Amid various Covid restrictions during the year, boozing at home remained popular with sales of lager (+£198.9m), wine (+£295.1m), sparkling wine and champagne (+227.4m) up significantly. However, the largest increase was reserved for spirits (+393.9m), with Smirnoff vodka (+£65.1m) the main winner.
At the same time, the increase in home working and reduction in socialising continued to weigh heavily on sales of deodorant (-£37.8m) and cosmetics (-£40.0m).
However, sales of toilet roll – which was at the centre of stockpiling in 2020 – have normalised at a higher level, and there has been a dip in sales of surface cleaner products (-£39.5m) and soap (-£32.1m)
With more time spent at home, shoppers also appear to be treating themselves more regularly, with sales of snacking items such as chocolate (+£147.7m) and bagged snacks (+£130.6m) increasing significantly. People are also purchasing more luxury treat items such as Little Moons (+£17.6m), an ice-cream dessert that has been popularised across social media.
NielsenIQ’s data shows energy drinks (+£205.6m), such as Monster (+£105.9m) and Red Bull (+£79.8m), and Coca-Cola (+£83.3m) were among the fastest-growing grocery products. Sales of salmon also surged (+£54.4m) after being seen as a low price meal option suitable for ‘out of home’ style dining occasions at home.
At the height of the lockdowns during 2020, shoppers in the UK began to embrace at-home cooking and eating to recreate dining experiences. However, consumers now appear to have shifted away from this trend. Sales of grocery products that are popular with cooking from scratch, such as potatoes (-£70.9m), bread, cooking sauces, rice, and pasta have all declined within the last year, with Kingsmill (-£39.3) and Ben’s Original (-£21.1m) among the biggest declining brands. This is supported by a decline in hand dishwashing products, which suggests consumers are spending less time washing up at home.
With sales of potatoes falling, tomatoes (+£22m) are now the UK’s best-selling vegetable, worth £790.3m in retail value. There’s also a new number one on the fruit side (for the third year running), with strawberries (+£26.1m) overtaking bananas (-£42.4m) to become Britain’s favourite fruit, with sales reaching £614.5m as a bumper harvest this year resulted in keen prices to help boost sales.
Fastest-growing grocery categories of 2021 (excluding Tobacco)
| Category | Actual growth (£m) | |
| 1 | Spirits | 393.9 |
| 2 | Table wine | 295.1 |
| 3 | Free-from | 212.9 |
| 4 | Sports & energy drinks | 205.6 |
| 5 | Lager | 198.9 |
| 6 | Carbonates | 180.1 |
| 7 | Chocolate | 147.7 |
| 8 | Sparkling wine | 133.6 |
| 9 | Fish | 131.1 |
| 10 | Bagged snacks | 130.6 |
Source: NielsenIQ Scantrack
Fastest-falling grocery categories of 2021 (excluding Tobacco)
| Category | Actual decline (£m) | |
| 1 | Cold & flu remedies | 197.6 |
| 2 | Cider & perry | 63.1 |
| 3 | Cereal | 56.4 |
| 4 | Rice | 54.8 |
| 5 | Sweet biscuits | 53.4 |
| 6 | Wrapped loaves | 52.0 |
| 7 | Cosmetics | 40.0 |
| 8 | Surface care | 39.5 |
| 9 | Canned fish | 38.9 |
| 10 | Deodorant | 37.8 |
Source: NielsenIQ Scantrack
“Now two years into the pandemic, shoppers are beginning to grow more accustomed to life in pandemic Britain, and this is reflected in our latest top products data, where we’ve seen sales of some of the biggest stockpiling items from the previous year, such as pasta, rice and toilet roll declining,” said Rachel White, Managing Director UK & Ireland at NielsenIQ.
“Consumers are continuing to spend time working and socialising at home, but they are also now looking for more indulgences. This is evident in the supercharged growth of snacking products and confectionery, some of which have been popularised by social media trends. It’s evident that despite the uncertainty, shopper trends are still evolving and consumers are continuing to be inspired by certain brands and products and we’ll be monitoring this closely in the new year and beyond. ”
Adam Leyland, Editor-in-Chief at The Grocer, added: “It’s been a year of disruption, distraction and delay. Yet, by and large, the grocery sector has kept delivering the goods. While sales have unquestionably been lost due to driver shortages and other supply issues, particularly during the pingdemic in mid-summer, the industry has responded magnificently to the challenges. The industry has also continued to innovate. In our Top Products Survey, we’ve identified 48 top launches. Individually these are a brilliant addition to their categories. Collectively, they show an industry that continues to operate on the front foot, meeting new shopper needs while pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.
“But the industry cannot afford to relax for one second. As well as the emergence of Omicron, a new and potentially dangerous Covid variant, there are new pressures on the sector, including soaring inflation, increased industrial action, new and onerous environmental and health-based legislation, and further threats to the resilience of supply chains from new Brexit processes. The food sector is a whirlwind right now, with obstacles flying in all directions. But among the chaos and confusion, grocery retailers, wholesalers and suppliers are doing their level best to plot a safe path.”
NAM Implications:
- A quick test of the extent to which you have been under/over trading in 2021…
- …revealing possible opportunities for refocusing brand strategies
- to optimise gains
- or minimise dilution
- Why not conduct a line-by-line comparison with these outputs in mind.
- (and let NielsenIQ know, in order to encourage more of these in-demand analyses…)
