Grocery sales increased by 3.8% in the 12 weeks to 4 September, according to new figures from data and insight agency Kantar.
It is the third month in a row that the sector’s sales have grown after more than a year in decline as a consequence of comparisons with the pandemic. The rise comes as grocery price inflation hit 12.4% during the past month, a new record.
Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, said: “It seems there’s no end in sight to grocery inflation as the rate at which food and drink prices are increasing continues to accelerate. Now standing at 12.4% for August, the latest figure means that the average annual grocery bill will go from £4,610 to £5,181 if consumers don’t make changes to what they buy and how they shop to cut costs. That’s an extra £572 a year.
“Categories like milk, butter and dog food are jumping up especially quickly at 31%, 25% and 29%, respectively.”
The data show that sales of the very cheapest value own-label products have increased by 33% year-on-year, with nearly one in four baskets containing one of these lines. Overall spending on all retailer own-label lines was £393m higher during the latest four weeks, pushing own label’s share of the market to 51.1%.
Kantar’s figures show Aldi’s sales rose by 18.7% over the 12 weeks to 4 September 2022, reaching a 9.3% market share and making it Britain’s fourth largest supermarket for the first time.
