Mediocre weather hasn’t stopped Scottish shoppers embracing seasonal categories, such as soft drinks, tropical fruit and berries, but alcohol and ice cream sales have slumped, according to the latest take home sales data from Kantar.
Lesley-Ann Gray, Strategic Insight Director at Kantar, said: “Take-home grocery sales in Scotland rose by 1.4% over the four weeks to 15 June 2025, according to the latest data from Kantar. While much of this growth was fuelled by inflation now at 3.9%, volumes decreased at 0.2%.
“Although much of the UK basked in warm, sunny weather, Scotland saw more subdued conditions, with average temperatures for the time of year and rain recorded on 12 days last month. Nevertheless, the summery mood prevailed among shoppers, who continued to favour seasonal products. Footfall rose modestly, with shopping trips up by 3.1% thanks in part to brighter spells, though this was offset by a 3.8% decline in the volume purchased per visit.
“Consumers looked to bring a touch of sunshine to their plates, with tropical fruits enjoying a 22% boost in volume. However, it was traditional berries that truly stood out, with blackberries rising by 42.4% and strawberries by 25.8%, reflecting both seasonal availability and enduring popularity. In terms of staying hydrated, soft drinks, water and squash all saw growth, with their combined volume increasing by 7.9%. Alcohol, by contrast, experienced a 12% decline in volume, equating to a £10.9 million drop in category value. Ice cream, often a go-to during warmer spells, didn’t quite take off this time, with volumes dipping by 4%, likely due to the cooler weather offering little incentive for freezer indulgence.”
She added that shoppers continue to keep a close eye on spending, with promotional activity increased by 1.1% over the past 12 weeks, while own-label lines grew ahead of both the market and branded products up 5.1%, compared with 2.2% growth for brands. Own-label lines sales during this period reached £1.7m, slightly ahead of branded sales at £1.6m.
Meanwhile, online shopping remained the fastest-growing channel, up 10.3%, driven by both greater volume and more households choosing to shop online. Online now accounts for 8.1% of total grocery spend, Gray stated.
