January sales kicked off a solid month for retail with stores delivering their strongest growth in almost two years, shows industry report released today (11).
According to retail body British Retail Consortium (BRC), UK total retail sales increased by 2.6 per cent year on year in January, against a growth of 1.2 per cent in January 2024. This was above the 3-month average growth of 1.1 per cent and above the 12-month average growth of 0.8 per cent.
Food sales increased by 2.8 per cent year on year in January, against a growth of 6.1 per cent in January 2024. This was above the 3-month average growth of 2.3 per cent and below the 12-month average growth of 3 per cent, shows BRC report.
Commenting on the figures, Helen Dickinson OBE, Chief Executive of the British Retail Consortium, said, “January sales kicked off a solid month for retail with stores delivering their strongest growth in almost two years, albeit on a weak comparable.
"Consumers headed to the shops to refresh their homes for the year ahead, taking advantage of big discounts on furniture, bedding and other home accessories.
"With growth across nearly all categories, only toys and baby equipment remained in decline. While the bouts of stormy weather put a temporary dampener on demand, sales growth held up well throughout the rest of the month. This was also helped by the earlier start of the reporting period, adding a few more post-Christmas shopping days into the mix.
“Whether this strong performance can hold out for the coming months is yet to be seen. Inflationary pressures are rising, compounded by £7bn of new costs facing retailers, including higher employer national insurance contributions, higher National Living Wage, and a new packaging levy.
"Many businesses will be left with little choice but to increase prices, and cut investment in jobs and stores. Government can mitigate this by ensuring its proposed business rates reforms do not result in any shop paying more in business rates.”
Commenting on food and drink sector performance, Sarah Bradbury, CEO of IGD, said, "The current climate of economic uncertainty is reflected in IGD’s January shopper confidence index, which has declined by 3 points.
"With unemployment at 4.4 per cent (+0.4 per cent vs this time last year), shoppers have responded by employing strategies to control their spend.
"The notable increase in volume over value sales suggests a shift towards private label products and a change in purchasing categories, as shoppers anticipate further price rises for food and drink.”
The unstoppable rise of crafted apple cider is setting the benchmark for success in the UK’s £1.1 billion off-trade cider market, according to the latest Westons Cider Report.
The leading cider producer advises that convenience retailers who prioritise premium products and strategic ranging will be best placed to drive sales in 2025.
Despite crafted cider thriving across the broader market, its share in convenience still lags slightly behind (20% vs. 24%). This gap presents an exciting opportunity for convenience retailers to tap into the premium crafted cider trend and unlock significant revenue.
Westons Cider’s milestone report reveals that, while total cider sales have edged up by just 0.1 per cent YOY, crafted cider is experiencing remarkable growth with a significant 14.6 per cent surge in convenience alone.
As consumers increasingly seek authenticity, quality, and heritage, premium crafted ciders are becoming essential for retailers eager to drive long-term success.
A decade of transformation in cider
Westons Cider predicted the rise of crafted cider in 2018 and, seven years on, the numbers prove just how transformative this shift has been. Back then, crafted cider made up just 9 per cent of apple cider sales — today, it accounts for nearly a quarter of the total cider market, adding an impressive £26.3 million to the category in the past year alone.
While the overall cider category has edged forward (+0.1%), crafted cider has surged ahead, growing at ten times (11.1%) the rate of the total market. This unwavering momentum cements crafted cider’s place as the fastest-growing segment in the industry.
This shift reflects a fundamental change in consumer preferences. A decade ago, cider was a broader, more fragmented category, featuring more brands and greater variety. Today, the focus has shifted — fewer brands, stronger premium offerings, and an emphasis on quality over quantity.
Crafted cider: A major untapped opportunity in convenience
Despite commanding a premium price of £4.32 per litre in convenience, compared to £2.76 for the total category, crafted cider remains underrepresented in this channel, with distribution at 95.4 per cent compared to 98.4 per cent across the total market. Bridging this gap could unlock an impressive £3.7m in value sales.
Even with limited shelf space, crafted cider continues to show a solid 5.8 per cent YOY growth, highlighting a strong and growing consumer appetite for high-quality options.
“Shoppers are looking for premium cider options in convenience, and retailers who give crafted cider the prominence it deserves will reap the rewards,” said Tim Williams, insight and innovation manager at Westons Cider.
“With crafted cider delivering strong margins and demonstrating double-digit growth, giving it prime position in chillers and on shelves will drive greater profits. The demand is already there – retailers just need to back the right brands.”
Key growth opportunities for 2025
The opportunity to recruit younger drinkers is ripe for the taking. While cider remains a household staple, penetration has slipped to 40.9 per cent, down from 43.9 per cent in 2022, showing that the category must evolve to stay relevant.
However, younger shoppers, particularly those under 45, are actively trading up to premium drinks, making crafted cider an aspirational yet accessible choice. Crafted cider is already gaining traction with affluent consumers, with ABC1 shoppers now accounting for 65.8 per cent of spend — up from 61 per cent last year.
Notably, crafted cider has the highest proportion of younger shoppers, with under-45s making up a larger share of spend compared to any other cider segment. This clear shift towards quality and authenticity presents a huge opportunity for convenience retailers to refresh their cider range and attract a new wave of consumers.
Apple cider remains the core of the category
Apple cider remains the core of the category. Accounting for nearly two-thirds (63.7%) of market value, apple cider continues to dominate. While pear cider’s overall share remains small at 4 per cent, premium crafted pear ciders are seeing renewed interest. Henry Westons Vintage Pear has added £550,000 in sales over the last year, alongside growth in other premium pear offerings. This suggests a clear opportunity for retailers to premiumise the pear cider segment, tapping into the same consumer demand that has propelled crafted apple ciders to success.
With limited chiller space in convenience, ensuring crafted apple cider has adequate facings is crucial to maximising sales. Stocking the right mix of single-serve formats for impulse purchases and larger multipacks for planned consumption will help capitalise on both shopper missions.
Shoppers are trading up across the drinks aisle, and cider is no exception. The crafted cider segment’s growth of over 10 per cent highlights the increasing willingness of consumers to pay more for quality, taste, and heritage. Convenience retailers who prioritise premium SKUs stand to gain the most from this trend.
Convenience category spotlights:
Crafted cider’s Southern stronghold: Crafted cider is particularly strong in the South, accounting for 73 per cent of volume in the five most southern TV regions. Convenience retailers in these areas should allocate more shelf space to premium crafted options to maximise sales.
British weather may be unpredictable, but cider sales don’t have to be: While summer remains cider’s peak season, unpredictable British weather has led to inconsistent sales patterns in recent years. June 2024 was unseasonably cool, leading to a 20.5 per cent drop in cider volume sales YOY, while August saw more rainfall than previous years, pushing volume down 12.5 per cent versus 2022. However, sales rebounded slightly compared to August 2023, which had particularly poor weather. Given this volatility, retailers should double down on major selling moments — like bank holidays and sporting events — where demand remains strong regardless of weather conditions.
No & low is pouring into the mainstream: The segment has grown 8.4 per cent YOY, highlighting increasing moderation trends. Stocking low/no alcohol apple and fruit ciders ensures a complete range to meet evolving consumer needs.
Independent retailers are outperforming the market: While total convenience cider value is up 2.1 per cent YOY, independent retailers are growing even faster, at 4.4 per cent YOY. This shows a particularly strong opportunity for crafted cider, which still holds only 17 per cent share in independents versus 20 per cent across total convenience. There is clear potential for independent retailers to expand their crafted cider offering and close this gap.
“As Westons celebrates 145 years of cider-making, it’s remarkable to reflect on how much the category has evolved,” Darryl Hinksman, head of business development at Westons Cider, said.
“What’s also clear is that authenticity and provenance matter more than ever. The past decade has seen major brewers attempt to capitalise on cider’s popularity with brand extensions, yet these failed to resonate with consumers in the long term. This reinforces a key lesson — shoppers are looking for genuine cider brands with real heritage, not just big names entering the category.
“Looking ahead to the next decade, we expect this refinement to continue, with cider becoming even more premium-driven. Shoppers are actively seeking authentic, high-quality options, and convenience retailers who align their ranges with these consumer trends and prioritise best-selling premium ciders, like Henry Westons and Stowford Press, will be the ones to unlock growth and maximise their cider sales.”
Top ten cider SKUs in the convenience channelWestons Cider Report
Henry Westons Vintage 500ml is the number one SKU in the convenience channel, more than twice the size of the second-placed product and in strong growth (+8.2%). Thatchers Gold 500mlx4 was ranked eighth last year and has risen to second. Inch’s is new to the top ten this year in eighth place.
Pack sizes are smaller in this channel with singles and four packs dominating the top ten. Larger packs have a role, however, as Strongbow Dark Fruit 10 pack is the third highest ranked pack.
The full report – including impartial stocking advice for retailers – is also available for digital download here.
All data Westons Cider Report 2025, Circana 52 w/e 28 December 2024 and Kantar, 24 December 2024.
While digital payments dominate, with digital wallets set to rise to 33 per cent of in-store spending by 2030, traditional methods continue to hold ground in a fragmented UK market, shows a recent report mapping the UK’s payment landscape over the past decade.
According to the 10th edition of the Worldpay Global Payments Report (GPR),, the UK has witnessed a significant decline in cash use over the past decade, with its share of point-of-sale (POS) spending dropping from 32 per cent to 10 per cent between 2014 and 2024, accounting for £128 billion of in-store transactions.
This trend was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which hastened a shift toward digital payment methods.
Despite this, the rate of cash’s decline has stabilised. It remains a vital part of the UK payments landscape and is projected to account for £109 billion (8%) of in-store spending by 2030.
Digital payments have surged in the UK, largely driven by the rise of digital wallets. From 2014 to 2024, the value of e-commerce transactions conducted via digital wallets quadrupled, accounting for £108 billion in spending last year.
This rapid adoption has positioned the UK as the third, behind Denmark and Norway in Europe for online digital wallet use. At POS, digital wallets have seen remarkable growth, increasing from just 1 per cent to 18 per cent of spend during the same period.
This trajectory is set to continue, with projections indicating a rise to 33 per cent by 2030, when £447 billion of in-store spending is likely to be made via digital wallets.
Complementing this trend is the rapid expansion of buy now, pay later (BNPL), which has grown from under 1 per cent of online spend in 2014 to account for 7 per cent of online spend in 2024. It is projected that by 2030 £33bn of UK online spend will be made via BNPL.
This reflects a broader shift in consumer purchasing behaviour toward more flexible and digital payment solutions.
Pete Wickes, general manager, EMEA at Worldpay, said, “In an era where consumer choice is king, the UK’s payment landscape has become a sophisticated network of diverse options, reflecting the nuanced demands of its users.
"It reflects a society that values the security and familiarity of traditional payment methods, while simultaneously embracing the efficiency and enhanced experience offered by emerging technologies.”
Despite the rise of digital alternatives, UK consumers remain loyal to cards. £1 trillion of total in-store and online spending was conducted using cards in 2024.
Additionally, Worldpay’s Global Payments Report survey reveals that 63 per cent of digital wallets in the UK are funded by cards, underscoring their continued role in the UK’s payment infrastructure, despite the growth of digital methods.
The popularity of debit cards persists in the UK, particularly amid ongoing economic challenges. Consumers are spending within their means, with almost a quarter of UK consumers indicating that budgeting was a motivator for using debit cards in store, rising to almost a third for online use.
In 2024, the share of in-store spending via debit and prepaid cards was almost double that of credit cards, at 46 per cent compared to 24 per cent at POS.
Wickes added: “Worldpay champions a diverse and dynamic payments landscape, recognising that payment choice enhances the customer journey, supports merchant growth, and powers commerce.
"As we witness the convergence of the old and the new, merchants should be prepared to leverage this dynamic ecosystem by offering payment options that are both responsive to and anticipatory of their customers’ behaviours and preferences.”
Younger drinkers are driving the emergence of the premium cream liqueur category in the UK, according to new data from Irish cream challenger brand, Coole Swan.
The brand’s sales data shows 20 – 40-year-olds as the core consumer of Coole Swan, a demographic significantly contributing to the brand’s 67 per cent growth in the UK in 2024.
Coole Swan CEO, Mary Sadlier, believes this growth to be an untapped opportunity for the trade.
Data shows that Coole Swan consumers spend 84 per cent more instore than the category average and 70 per cent of its consumers come from outside the category, preserving the growth of the popular value end of the cream liqueur category.
Mary Sadlier commented, “Consumers are willing to pay more for premium alcohol, especially the younger consumer. It’s well documented that post millennials are drinking less, but when they are drinking, they’re opting for a better-quality liquid, with the finest ingredients and no additives.
"They might be buying less volume, but they’re spending more on quality, enjoying it for longer and really appreciating the liquid.
"For the trade, these new consumer habits mean better margins and repeat custom from proven higher spending consumers. It’s a real growth opportunity that doesn’t cannibalise the value end of the market, given that nearly three quarters of our consumers are discovering the brand from outside the category. ”
The global cream liqueur market is projected to register a CAGR of 10.5 per cent from 2023 to 2029. Global data shows that growth is largely driven by premium brands, which are growing faster than the rest of the category in Europe and the US.
Sadlier continued, “Irish Cream Liqueurs are having their day and Coole Swan is here to disrupt as the next generation cream liqueur. Blended with care, Coole Swan has fresher ingredients, a smoother finish and a cleaner taste and has won multiple, prestigious awards globally, to prove it.
"It’s hard to believe that a brand created in a shed in County Meath has gone on to create such disruption in the market. We don’t have big budgets behind us, simply loyal, satisfied customers who keep coming back.”
As well as maximising strategic price promotions throughout the year, Coole Swan also expects to secure brand growth through new retail and wholesale listings, working with its UK distributor. The brand is also investing in digital marketing to further tap into this younger, engaged audience.
Retail footfall rebounded last week from the week before in high streets and retail parks whereas shopping centres continued to see a decline, shows the latest figures.
The rise in high street activity is being attributed to warmer weather, and schools reopening following the half term break across the UK which will also signal a return to the office.
According to MRI Software, footfall rose on four out of seven days last week peaking on Sunday and Wednesday in all UK retail destinations, however the drop in activity came on Friday which was far more significant in shopping centres.
High streets benefitted from the warmer weather on Saturday with a rise in footfall recorded however retail parks and shopping centres saw a drop in activity on this day compared to the week before.
All town types seemingly benefited from the milder weather conditions with footfall rising from the week before, especially in coastal towns and Greater London where double digit rises were recorded from the week before.
Market and historic towns also witnessed strong activity, alongside MRI Software’s Central London Back to Office benchmark. Apart from the West Midlands, regional footfall in all UK retail destinations remained strong particularly in the East of England and the South West.
Retail footfall rose by +1.8 per cent overall last week from the week before driven by a +4.2 per cent rebound in high street activity and by +0.1 per cent in retail parks.
Shopping centres, however, saw a -1.6 per cent decline in footfall, reflecting cautious consumer behaviour ahead of Mother’s Day and Easter, which fall two weeks later this year than in 2024. This suggest shoppers may be planning purchases more intentionally.
Week on week, Sunday and Wednesday were the strongest days with footfall in all UK retail destinations but driven predominantly by high streets experiencing strong rises.
This upward trend continued into the weekend with activity rising by +4% on Saturday whereas retail parks and shopping centres saw a much quieter day with footfall declining, a sign of milder weather conditions encouraging people to outdoor retail destinations.
Coastal towns also benefitted from the improved weather conditions as footfall rose by +11 per cent week on week, a double digit trend which was also echoed in Greater London (+10.6 per cent). The return to office was evident in Central London.
Compared to 2024 levels, high street footfall remained flat whereas shopping centres and retail parks saw a footfall decline.
With seasonal shifts in major events that typically drive retail footfall, including Mother’s Day and Easter moving to later in March and into April, these annual fluctuations are expected to level out over time.
Keep ReadingShow less
Decline in plant-based product sales and rise in meat and dairy sales
Meat and dairy products saw a rise in sales in January, while their meat-free counterparts and dairy-free products experienced less demand compared with 2024.
According to a report released by Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), while the meat, fish and poultry (MFP) category saw volume growth of 1.4 per cent, meat-free products had their fourth consecutive year of decline.
This was mostly driven by vegetable-based products such as bean burgers, rather than meat imitation products (like Quorn), as vegetable-based products saw a -12.4 per cent decline.
This weaker performance is likely due to declining engagement with Veganuary, according to Google searches, and only a small proportion of the population (5.65 per cent) taking part in the challenge this year.
Of those who took part, 1.29 per cent are vegan all year round, 2.30 per cent completed Veganuary and 2.06 per cent did not. Of those who managed to maintain a vegan diet for the entire month, 39 per cent stated they are not going to continue with the diet beyond January, states AHDB.
Promotions played a big part in performance this January, and according to Kantar, meat-free product saw a 9.1 per cent decline in promotions year-on-year, which, along with high inflation, likely contributed to its performance.
While meat imitation products did see spend and volume growth in January, it was the only meat-free category to see increases in both, however, this isn’t expected to continue, as historically (2021–2024) there has been an average decline in volume of -22.5 per cent from January to February (Kantar 4 w/e 26 January 2025).
Cow’s dairy volumes increased by 6.1 per cent in January and saw volume increases in almost all product categories, while plant-based dairy sales increased by just 1 per cent, with volume declines in nearly all plant-based dairy categories, including plant-based cheese, spreads and butter.
Hannah McLoughlin, an AHDB analyst, said, “Our data highlights that consumer interest in meat and dairy-free products is not as strong as it was in previous years.
“The demand for meat and dairy remains resilient, with many consumers showing a preference for traditional products over plant-based options.
“This shift in consumption patterns, coupled with fluctuating promotional activity, suggests that the traditional meat and dairy sectors continue to hold their ground in the face of changing dietary trends.
“AHDB continues to promote the benefits of eating meat and dairy year-round, with our Milk Every Moment, Let’s Eat Balanced and Love Pork campaigns focusing on the great taste and health benefits of these products as part of a healthy balanced diet.”