Shoppers in Northern Ireland continue to shop less and more often, states latest Kantar report, adding that customers are increasingly turning to promotions and cheaper private label alternatives.
The cost-of-living crisis is now the big issue on shoppers’ minds and annual grocery price inflation in Northern Ireland continues to climb, up from 2.8 percent last month to 3.6 percent this period.
Northern Irish grocery sales are down by 5.8 percent year on year as consumers shift back towards shopping little and often, said David Berry, managing director for Kantar Worldpanel Ireland, citing the report’s results.
“The return of this top-up trend is largely driven by the aftereffects of Covid-19, but we’re also starting to see inflation making its mark on behaviour.
Northern Irish shoppers made two extra trips to grocery stores in the latest 12-week period compared with last year, as per the report. Customers are putting less in their baskets and volumes have declined on average by 10.2 percent, that’s about one fewer pack.
“Consumers are returning to tactics they adopted in the last recession to manage the impact on household budgets. As well as doing smaller shops more often, some people are making the most of grocers’ promotions and trading down to private label alternatives, which are typically cheaper than brands.
Tesco has maintained its strong lead as Northern Ireland’s largest grocer this month, holding steady with a 36 percent share of the market, followed by Asda and Sainsbury’s.
Lidl is the only major retailer to gain share this period, albeit from a low base, nudging up from 6.6 percent to 7 percent, benefitting from an influx of new shoppers looking for discounters who added £8 million to sales.
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