TWO of the major research organisations saw the food and drink market in the UK in the run-up to the recent EU referendum differently.
Nielsen highlighted its finding that in the four weeks to 18 June the value of supermarket sales was up year on year for the first time since July 2015. Value sales rose 0.4% while volume sales were the same as the previous year.
The first week of Euro 2016 helped beer, wines and spirits sales increase by 6.2% year on year during the researcher’s four-week period. And crisps and snacks sales value rose by 4.2%.
It also reckoned the warm end to May contributed to delicatessen sales rising by 3.9%.
But grocery market figures for the 12 weeks to 19 June from Kantar Worldpanel show, it said, the overall market slipping into decline for the first time since January, with supermarket sales down by 0.2% and like-for-like prices declining by 1.4%. And, while Kantar Worldpanel concentrates on take-home purchases and therefore might not catch all c-store sales, the researcher found that sales though independent and symbol stores to its panel of consumers slumped by more than 7%.
Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar Worldpanel said the decline was a continuation of slow supermarket sales growth dating back to summer 2014 and was thanks to a retailer price war.
But Co-op growth of 2% meant it had seen a full year of growing sales and Waitrose had done well.
And the big winners were the big discounters Aldi and Lidl whose combined share reached a record 10.5%.
