Fruit has emerged as the fastest-growing category in UK grocery, with strong sales of berries and grapes driving a major uplift as shoppers shift towards healthier diets, a trend that convenience retailers can capitalise on.
According to NIQ ScanTrack data, value sales in the fruit category rose by £580.4 million over the past year, marking the biggest increase across the top ten grocery categories in 2025. The growth was volume-led, with fruit sales up 4.3 per cent, underlining genuine increases in consumption rather than inflation-driven gains.
Berries and grapes were the standout performers. Strawberries delivered an additional £125m in sales, while blueberries added £101.3m, placing both among the top ten fastest-growing grocery products overall. NIQ said the performance reflects a clear reset in shopper priorities.
Julian Crane, managing director for NIQ UK & Ireland, said consumers are “prioritising wellbeing, buying more fresh fruit and minimally processed foods,” alongside dependable staples such as core proteins and speciality breads.
For convenience stores, the shift is notable at a time when some traditional impulse and high-margin categories are under pressure.
While chocolate, meat, energy drinks and speciality bread also featured among the fastest-growing categories by value, inflation played a key role in some of those gains. Chocolate, for example, saw higher values but 11.5 million fewer kilos purchased as rising prices dampened volumes.
By contrast, fruit growth was supported by favourable growing conditions, record summer temperatures and a renewed focus on health, with 33 per cent of consumers citing wellbeing as their top concern during the summer months.
Categories seeing the sharpest declines included meat-free products, cigarettes, vapes and bizarrely, toilet roll.
For convenience retailers, the message is clear: fresh fruit – particularly berries and grapes – is no longer just a peripheral offer, but a growth driver worth giving more space, visibility and availability in store.