Only mince pies on festive lists

AS THE cost-of-living crisis bites into family budgets, fewer people are stocking up on Christmas essentials this year – apart from mince pies.

A survey reveals just 23% of households had bought Christmas biscuits by October, a drop from the 30% recorded in the same month last year.

And spending on chocolate seems to be melting away too, with €2.1m less spent on ‘gifting’ chocolate and €1.2m less on seasonal chocolate, according to the Kantar survey. Halloween also failed to excite consumers, with just 18% of households buying a pumpkin compared to 24% in 2021. However, the one Christmas food tradition that has bucked the trend is mince pies – with shoppers splurging €220,000 more on the festive treats than the same time last year.

The downturn in food spending is likely driven by rising prices.

Figures confirm grocery price inflation soared to a record

13.4% in October. And as costs rise, price conscious shoppers are increasingly turning to cheaper own-brand value ranges. Sales of own-brand goods in October accounted for almost half (46%) of the overall grocery market – a significant increase on the 26% figure for the same period last year. Sales in ownlabel groceries have risen by 9.4% in the past three months.

Meanwhile, Dunnes Stores remains Ireland’s most popular supermarket chain, followed by Tesco, Lidl and Aldi, according to the survey.