Buoyant festive food trade for shops across UK

BRITONS spent £11.7 billion in supermarkets during December in the sector’s busiest month ever, new figures show.

Data from Kantar found December saw sales jump 11.4% to £32.7bn in the 12 weeks to December 27.

Supermarket trading was boosted by the £4bn normally spent on food and drink outside the home over the Christmas season.

Morrisons said customers shopped earlier than usual, with sales of champagne up 64% compared with a year ago, along with 40% jumps in salmon sales.

In the nine weeks to January 3, like-for-like sales rose 8.5%, and in the six months to the same date they were up 8.3% compared with a year ago, helped by strong sales online and rises in its wholesale business of 24.4%.

Profits were expected of between £190 million and £210m once the £230m business rates payment is made after the supermarket waived its right to the tax holiday.

There had been fears some products might not be available due to the Covid-19 border closures with France in December and Brexit fears.

But chief executive David Potts said there had been no delays.

Mr Potts added that, despite the introduction of new national lockdowns in England and Scotland, the supermarket has no plan to limit certain products.

He said: “We haven’t got limits on things like pasta and flour and all of those things people seem to stock up on.

“We can turn it on fairly sharpish and it’s really making sure that everyone has stock.”

The first lockdown in March saw supermarkets stripped bare and bosses want to avoid a repeat.

He added that the new lockdowns – including the order for vulnerable people to shield – were likely to affect the same 2,500 supermarket staff who had to shield during the March lockdown.

Due to Covid-related costs, the supermarket will spend £10m and has seen a fall in takings due to cafe closures and lower fuel sales.