Supermarkets sweep up extra £15.2bn in trade
FAMILIES have forked out an extra £500 on their grocery bills since spring last year – including on 2 billion more cuppas than usual.
The pandemic resulted in supermarkets enjoying trade worth £15.2billion more than expected.
This includes 7 billion extra meals than usual. But households did economise as their social lives slumped – spending one per cent less on toiletries.
The start of the most recent lockdown also bumped up online sales from already buoyant levels. Fraser McKevitt, of market research group Kantar, said net orders boomed to a record 15.4 per cent of sales last month, compared to 8.7 per cent last year.
He said: “The pandemic has now been making its mark on our lives and completely changing the way we shop for a full year. It is a habit that seems to be sticking among British consumers and internet orders now make up an average of 65 per cent of grocery spending each month for people who do shop online.”
All sales rose over the 12 weeks to February 21, with Tesco and Morrisons increasing their market share.
Tesco was the winner with 27.4 per cent, compared to 27.2 per cent last year. Morrisons rose 0.1 per cent to 10.3 per cent.
Sainsbury’s had a static 15.6 per cent of the market, while Asda, Lidl and Aldi saw their portions cut.
Mr McKevitt predicts the chains will see a drop-off in fortunes as the nation emerges from lockdown – and back to eating out.
He said: “Sales will be measured against last year’s record spending and comparisons will be tough against the heights of 2020. Demand for groceries is also likely to subside.”