Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Symbols and independents worst hit as grocery inflation soars

Symbols and independents worst hit as grocery inflation soars
Photo illustration by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images
Getty Images

Symbols and independents fared badly as UK grocery inflation hit 9.9 per cent in the four weeks to July 10, adding £454 to Britons' annual bills amid a worsening cost of living crisis, industry data showed on Tuesday.

Market researcher Kantar said the inflation rate was the second highest it has seen since it started tracking supermarket prices in this way in 2008.


"We're likely to surpass the previous high come August," warned Fraser McKevitt, Kantar's head of retail and consumer insight.

Kantar said sales on a value basis rose 0.1 per cent at market leader Tesco over the 12 weeks to July 10, but fell at Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons as shoppers switched to German-owned discounters Aldi and Lidl.

Lidl was Britain's fastest growing grocer over the 12 weeks with sales up 13.9 per cent, while Aldi's were up 11.3 per cent.

Both hit record market shares, with Lidl at 7.0 per cent and Aldi at 9.1 per cent - just 0.3 per cent below Morrisons, Britain's No. 4 grocer.

"Over 67 per cent of people in Britain shopped in either an Aldi or a Lidl in the past 12 weeks, with 1.4 million additional households visiting at least one of the discounters in the latest three months compared with last year," said McKevitt.

Symbols and independents have been the worst performers, with a 10.9 per cent decline in the same period.

The researcher said prices are rising fastest in markets such as dog food, butter and milk.

Food inflation could reach 15 per cent this summer and 20 per cent early next year according to some forecasts.

Kantar said as prices rise Britons are also increasingly turning to own-label products to drive down the cost of their weekly shop. Sales of supermarkets' own lines grew 4.1 per cent over the 12 weeks, while sales of branded items fell 2.4 per cent.

Kantar said its data also showed Britons preparing for the current heat wave, with sales of ice cream and suncare products soaring by 14 per cent and 66 per cent respectively over the past four weeks.

It said total UK supermarket sales rose 0.1 per cent over the 12-week period - the first time the market has registered growth since April 2021.

More for you

National Lottery retailers help raise landmark £50bn for good causes

Raj Patel

National Lottery retailers help raise landmark £50bn for good causes

Today, on The National Lottery’s 30th birthday, operator Allwyn is announcing that, through selling tickets, National Lottery retailers have helped players raise a landmark £50 billion for Good Causes since 1994 – funding an incredible 700,000 individual projects across the UK.

Allwyn is also announcing that National Lottery retailers have now earned over £8 billion in sales commission since the first draw on Saturday 19 November 1994.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bacardi Cocktail

Brits ditch tea for G&T

Nearly half of Brits (44%) say they would prefer a G&T to a cup of tea when getting together with friends, according to a new survey by spirits major Bacardi Limited.

The UK consumer survey was conducted as part of the sixth annual Bacardi Cocktail Trends Report which anticipates the key trends redefining global cocktail culture and the spirits business in 2025.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tractors take to the streets of Westminster as demonstrators attend a farmers rally on November 19, 2024 in London, England. Thousands of farmers descended on central London to protest against changes to inheritance tax announced in the budget last month. The farmers argue that the changes will destroy family farms and that the nation's food security is at risk, while the government says that the change will likely affect only around 500 larger estate farms. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)

Tractors descend on Westminster as farmers protest begins

Thousands of British farmers today (19) are set to march to Parliament Square to protest against the end of an inheritance tax exemption that has helped family farms pass down the generations, saying the move will threaten food production.

First unveiled in chancellor Rachel Reeves’s Budget, the plans to impose inheritance tax on farms worth more than £1m have sparked fury among rural communities, who have contested the government’s assertion that small family farms will not be impacted by the changes.

Keep ReadingShow less
Bestway launches Christmas 'Profit Express' campaign

Bestway launches Christmas 'Profit Express' campaign

Retailers are invited to board Bestway’s Profit Express’ train as Bestway Wholesale launches its major Christmas campaign to its B2B customers across its nationwide depots, allowing retailers to access to its leading festive deals to drive shopper footfall against the backdrop of the theatre. The campaign will be live until Thursday 2 January 2025 giving customers the elevated, engaging and high impact theatre they have become famous for over the last three years.

In collaboration with key suppliers, the ‘Profit Express’ festive campaign delivers all the magic of theatre and festive fun, ensuring exceptional visibility and engagement for its expected 80,000 retailers shopping the Christmas campaign.

Keep ReadingShow less
imperial brands

Pricing and Next Generation Products surge boost Imperial Brands revenue and profits

Imperial Brands has reported a robust performance for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2024, helped by strong cigarette prices and rise in its Next Generation Products (NGP) segment.

The group, whose brands include Golden Virginia tobacco, Rizla rolling papers, Winston cigarettes and the vaping brand blu, delivered a 4.6 per cent increase in tobacco and NGP net revenue on a constant currency basis. This was driven by strong pricing in the tobacco segment, which offset a 4 per cent decline in volume, and a remarkable 26.4 per cent rise in NGP revenue.

Keep ReadingShow less