Ocado has remained the fastest growing supermarket for the past 12 weeks, with sales up 15.4%, closely followed by M&S up 12.4%, new data shows.

According to NIQ, Morrisons also saw spend per visit increase over the period following additional More Card offers, while Waitrose has gained momentum, with sales up 3.9% as the upmarket supermarket attracted more shoppers and visits compared to last year.

Meanwhile, discounter market share stabilised at 17.6% and has now returned to the same level as in February 2023. However, shoppers continued to take advantage of discounts with promotional spend maintained at 25% of all FMCG sales.

It comes despite total till sales growth having slowed at UK supermarkets, with a 4% increase in the four weeks to 7 September, down from a 5.5% increase recorded in early August.

NIQ said this slowdown in growth is likely due to cooler weather and a return to regular routines for shoppers after the summer break.

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However, the online share of FMCG spend increased to 13%, up from 12.5% a year ago, which was driven by a small 1% growth in online shoppers as well as more online shopping occasions.

The online sales growth for FMCG was also up 6.1%, which performed ahead of bricks-and-mortar, up 1.8% over the past four weeks.

There was a boost in sales for fresh food, with produce up 8.1%, and meat, fish and poultry sales rising by 5.4%, while value sales for packaged grocery grew 3.9%, with unit growth of 1.8%

NIQ UK head of retailer and business insight Mike Watkins said: “September is closely tied to a change in how we shop following ‘back-to-school’, so retailers typically reinvigorate marketing efforts as customers refocus on new routines as we go from summer to autumn.

“With some 50% of households saying they are moderately or severely impacted by the increases in cost of living, this means retailers will need to be laser-focused in offering products and promotions that inspire customers who are budget-conscious as part of the push for sales growth in Q4”.

He added: “Many households are now budgeting for Christmas and slowly stocking their cupboards to help spread the cost. So whilst promotions are still key, assessing the impact of all media spend is more important as this helps retailers and brands get a better understanding of shopper behaviour and purchasing drivers.”