Latest market share figures from Kantar show the grocery industry in Northern Ireland experienced growth of 5.7% during the 52 weeks to 14 June, with shoppers spending 17.8% more during the most recent 12 weeks covering the lockdown period.
Lidl remained the best performing retailer with its sales increasing by 10% as customers did larger shops on each visit to the stores. They also choose more premium and branded items when they were there.
Tesco, Northern Ireland’s largest retailer, grew its sales by 6.3% year-on-year. This was also driven by larger basket sizes alongside a rise in average prices of 1.6%.
Sales at Asda were up this month by 0.5% and at Sainsbury’s by 6.2%. Sainsbury’s shoppers have been doing larger trips (+5.3%) and spending £1.75 extra per trip on average. However, it is Asda customers who were found to have made the biggest additions to their weekly food shop, increasing them 12.1% and spending an additional £3.26 each time.
Emer Healy, retail analyst at Kantar, added: “Consumers are still being conscious of health and hygiene. Sales of household cleaners have risen by 14.9% and liquid soap by 57.6% in the 52 weeks to 14 June.
“The recent good weather and the easing of restrictions that allowed people to meet others outside of their household, has seen them spend an extra £40.5m on alcohol, £7.9m on soft drinks and £3.4m on savoury snacks.”
Data released yesterday for the Republic of Ireland showed that take-home grocery sales had jumped 24.7% in the 12 weeks to 14 June.
NAM Implications:
- As always, key is to compare your performance, by retailer…
- …and again ‘ask yourself not what Lidl can do for you, but what you can do for Lidl…’ (apologies JFK)
