Supermarket sales fell by 5.9% over the 12 weeks to 17 April 2022, according to the latest grocery figures from Kantar.
Additionally, For the first time since the pandemic began, sales are in decline by 0.6% compared with two years ago as the period now includes the start of the first lockdown, when only essential shops were allowed to open.
“It is to be expected that sales are down compared with last year when restrictions were still in place,” Kantar head of retail and consumer insight Fraser McKevitt said.
“While the number of trips we’re making to the supermarket has remained steady this year, people aren’t buying as much when in-store and the average basket size has dropped by 4.5% to £22.39.”
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Moreover, online grocery sales were down by almost 15% compared with 2021.
McKevitt added: “While online shopping is definitely here to stay, it’s less of a necessity now. Shopper confidence about heading out and about and getting back to store has gone up and half a million fewer households bought over the internet compared with last year.”
Despite the fall in-store and online grocery sales, the report highlighted an increase in sales of premium own-label products.
McKevitt continued: “There was still evidence of shoppers making the most of the long Easter weekend and splashing out a little bit more to make it special.
Premium own-label products performed better than any other lines, with sales jumping by 6.5%.”
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