NielsenIQ Data Confirms Grocery Sales Boost From Jubilee Weekend

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New data released by NielsenIQ confirms that Platinum Jubilee sales did not disappoint, with value sales at supermarkets in the UK topping £2.7bn in the week ending 4 June, 10% above the year-to-date average.

Sales at the grocery multiples improved £92m on last year, meaning that year-on-year growth improved 3.5%. Compared to sales in the previous week, sales improved by 5.8%, which equates to an increase of £149m.

In terms of category performance, ambient grocery (shelf-stable food) was up 11.6%, followed by household and pet products (+7.7%), with beers, wines and spirits returning to growth (+7.0%). Excluding Christmas and Easter, this is the first time this category has seen sales improve since the week ending 11 September 2021.

Over the Jubilee weekend, shoppers celebrated with teatime treats and fizz, with sales up for disposable tableware (+56%), cream and custard (+48%), champagne (+47%), dough and pastry (+46%), dry pasta (+41%), sparkling wine (+40%), preserves (+39%) and frozen savoury products (+37%). There was also a significant uplift in sales for baking sundries (+32%), chilled soup (+31%) and noodles (+30%).

The NielsenIQ data also shows that impulse sales improved by 6.2%, led by items such as biscuits (+15.9%), confectionery (+11.2%), crisps (+11.2%) and nuts and seeds (+9.1%). However, against last year’s hot temperatures in the same period, soft drinks sales declined 1.3%.

With the bank holiday allowing many consumers an extra few days to socialise and enjoy the long weekend, health and beauty sales also improved by 5.5% and fresh food was up 4.4%. Within the fresh food category, there was a particular improvement in sales for bakery (+15.7%), dairy (+10.6%) and convenience foods (+6.6%).

Meanwhile, frozen food sales fell 3.8% against last year’s tougher comparatives. There was also a decline in sales for weather-related seasonal categories such as suncare, fire lighters, ice cream, squashes and cordials. Tobacco sales declined 7.8% and non-food fell by 8.9%.

Mike Watkins, NielsenIQ’s UK Head of Retailer and Business Insight, commented: “It was a successful week for grocery retailers, though we expect that sales next week are likely to be back in the region of £2.5bn.”

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