Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Lockdown once again leads to increase in visit frequency, basket size and spend at c-stores

The lockdown announced in January has led to an increase in shopper visit frequency, basket spend and basket size in the convenience channel, new data from Lumina Intelligence showed.

According to the Convenience Tracking Programme of the market researcher, the average basket size in convenience was 5.3 items – up 6 per cent, the average visit frequency was 2.8 times– up 4 per cent and the average value of a convenience shopper was £66.73 – up 10 per cent in the four weeks ending 7 February, when compared to the previous four weeks.


Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered England into a new national lockdown on 4 January to contain a surge in COVID-19 cases that threatened to overwhelm parts of the health system.

“As we have seen throughout the three lockdown periods, shoppers are turning to their local convenience stores and, in some cases, avoiding larger, busier stores,” commented Blonnie Whist, head of insight at Lumina Intelligence. “This has resulted in higher visit frequency, greater spend and bigger baskets.”

Planned top-up has remained the number one mission driving shoppers to convenience stores, accounting for a third of all visits in the four week period. Compared to the previous period, meal occasions has overtaken newsagent as the second biggest mission, accounting for over 14 per cent of trips.

“The restrictions placed on hospitality have boosted in-home consumption, so retailers need to think smart about how they can inspire shoppers, with opportunities for meal deals that increase spend and purchases,” Whist added.

The proportion of convenience store baskets that include price marked packs has also grown by one percentage point. Overall, half of convenience baskets include price marked packs.

Soft drinks have moved from the fifth most purchased category for PMPs to third, highlighting the success of PMP price cut initiatives, such as Coca Cola’s, which tap into consumer demand for value, the market researcher noted.

The top three categories for PMPs are chilled foods, excluding milk (13%), bakery (wrapped) (9.9%) and soft drinks (5.9%).

“Convenience stores are perfectly placed to cater for local communities during lockdown periods. Retailers must use this as an opportunity to drive loyalty in order to retain customers once restrictions ease,” Whist said.

More for you

Budget 2024: Local shops to face significant new pressure

(Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

(Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Budget 2024: Local shops to face significant new pressure

Local shops will face significant new pressures as a result of today’s Budget, the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) has warned.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves' budget's impact will be felt unevenly across the UK’s 50,000 convenience stores, with some measures such as business rate relief and the increased employment allowance mitigating costs for smaller independent stores, while providing no help for chains and larger independent businesses.

Keep ReadingShow less
Post Office cash deposits and withdrawals
Post Office, DPD partners to rollout ‘Click and Collect’ services
Post Office, DPD partners to rollout ‘Click and Collect’ services

Parliament to launch inquiry into Post Office Horizon scandal compensation delays

Parliament is to launch an inquiry into delays in compensation settlements for sub postmasters affected by the Horizon scandal.

The newly-formed Business and Trade Select Committee will call ministers, subpostmasters and their lawyers to give evidence next week with a second session to follow in mid-November. The Committee’s chair, Liam Byrne MP told ITV News that there was “definitely a delay” in people coming forward for payment.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bacup Wine and Convenience shop, 34 Burnley Road, Bacup.

Bacup Wine and Convenience shop, 34 Burnley Road, Bacup.

Robbie MacDonald via LDRS

Shop’s licence bid rejected over illegal vapes and ‘no regard’ for children’s safety

A Rossendale shop has had a licence bid rejected after repeatedly selling vapes to children and having illegal products on its premises.

Management at the Ibra Superstore at 34 Burnley Road, Bacup, have shown ‘no regard’ for children’s protection and safety, and have insufficient controls for licensing, Rossendale councillors have ruled.

Keep ReadingShow less
SPAR retailer hits target to secure £100,000 free stock from James Hall

SPAR retailer hits target to secure £100,000 free stock from James Hall

SPAR North of England retailer Dara Singh Randhawa’s family store has been awarded £100,000 of free stock after hitting all his targets since moving to the symbol.

Dara and his family, who have their SPAR store in Patrington in the East Riding of Yorkshire, joined SPAR through its association with James Hall & Co. Ltd in August 2023 having taken the decision to maximise the store’s potential.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pound Sterling bank notes
iStock

National Living Wage to increase to £12.21 in April 2025

The government has on Wednesday announced its acceptance of the Low Pay Commission’s (LPC) recommendations on the rates of the National Minimum Wage (NMW), including the National Living Wage (NLW).

The rates which will apply from 1 April 2025 are as follows:

Keep ReadingShow less