UK grocery sales rise but shoppers aren't stockpiling: survey

London

BRITISH grocery sales growth accelerated in September as shoppers geared up for new lockdown restrictions to stem the spread of Covid-19, though there was "limited evidence" of a new wave of stockpiling, industry data showed on Tuesday.

Market researcher Kantar said sales rose 10.6 per cent year-on-year in the four weeks to Oct 4 as shoppers moved a greater proportion of their eating and drinking back into the home.

"This is likely a response to rising Covid-19 infection rates, greater restrictions on opening hours in the hospitality sector, and the end of the government's 'Eat Out to Help Out' scheme," said Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar.

He noted that alcohol sales alone were worth £261 million ($340 million) more to the grocers this month than the same month last year, with pubs, bars and restaurants now limited by a 10pm curfew.

But he said there was only limited evidence of consumers stockpiling goods at a national level in September.

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The seven days to Sept 27 were the busiest since March, with 107 million trips to supermarkets recorded, but that number was nowhere near the 175 million seen just prior to the first national lockdown.

However, last month, market leader Tesco and No 4 player Morrisons both reintroduced purchase limits on some products.

Morrisons was the best performer of the country's so called "big four" supermarkets with sales up 11.5 per cent over the 12 weeks to Oct 4.

Sales rose 9.2 per cent at Tesco and were up 6.8 per cent at Sainsbury's and 5.4 per cent at Asda. REUTERS