Food sales fell to their lowest levels in almost three years during December, as shoppers completed their Christmas purchases earlier than usual.
According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), grocery demand was down 1.2% month-on-month in December.
Food store sales volumes experienced their most significant monthly decline since May 2021, falling by 3.1% on the month, contrasting sharply to November’s growth of 1.1%.
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ONS deputy director for surveys and economic indicators Heather Bovill labelled this month’s results as “poor”, adding that “early Christmas shopping led to slow December sales.”
British Retail Consortium director of insight Kris Hamer noted that December’s decline “capped a difficult year for retailers”.
He added: “Black Friday sales ate into Christmas spending, while the high cost of living meant some households had to cut back on festive gifting.”
