Grocery sales rise 5.7%

Take-home grocery sales rose 5.7% for the 12 weeks to 18 April 2021, according to data analytics and brand consulting company Kantar.

The group’s figures also show a 6.5% growth for the four-weeks prior to 18 April, reflecting increasing consumer confidence in physical retail.

Kantar found that the over-65 community represented almost half of the increased grocery footfall, which rose 4% in April when compared to March 2021.

In turn, the share of groceries ordered online fell to 13.9% for the most recent four weeks, down from February’s peak of 15.4%.

Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight for the worldpanel division at Kantar, said that “there is a growing sense that the worst of the pandemic is behind us”.

He added: “People are becoming more comfortable with venturing out to the supermarket. The past four weeks have been the busiest in store for the grocers in more than a year, as the number of trips made in April increased by 4% compared to March.

“While the market may fluctuate between growth and decline in the months ahead, depending on the year-on-year comparison being made, the fact that trip numbers are up and basket sizes down suggests that habits are slowly returning to normal.”

As for individual businesses, Co-op saw its sales fall 3.1% year-on-year for the 12 week period.

Asda represented the fastest growing of the big four retailers, increasing its market share by 0.4%, while Tesco also increased its market share by 0.2%.