Christmas grocery purchases pushed to record high
CHRISTMAS sales for 2022 are expected to be record-breaking, according to market research firms.
Kantar reported that inflation sat at 14.6% during the month of November, a slight dip by 0.1 percentage points. This marked the first fall in 21 months, the firm said.
As a result, Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, reckons the 2022 Christmas season will see the biggest-ever record for take-home grocery sales for the festive period.
He said: “December looks set to be a record-breaking month, with sales going above the £12 billion mark for the first time.
“We’re expecting Friday 23 December to be the busiest day for pre-Christmas shopping.”
And speaking about festive food shopping, Kantar reported that the price of a traditional Christmas dinner for four would cost £31 this year – up 9.3%.
As a result, NielsenIQ data found that the majority of consumers would opt for supermarkets that had low prices, with more customers choosing the lower price point over the quality of products offered in stores.
Mike Watkins, head of retailer and business insight at NielsenIQ, said: “With double-digit food inflation, shoppers will be spending more to buy less this Christmas. But there are now a number of new coping strategies to help meet increased costs.
“These include wasting less food, shopping little and more often as well as taking advantage of the many savings being offered by retailer loyalty schemes.”
