Supermarket sales bounced back in the four weeks to 7 July 2024, with football fans driving the increased footfall.
In fact, analytics firm Kantar recorded the fastest rise in monthly footfall this year, with 2% more trips to the supermarket compared to a year ago. As a result, take-home sales at the grocers increased 2.2% in the period.
Beer sales were up by an average of 13% on the days that England played, as fans nibbled their way through crisps and snacks, with sales up 5% compared to the previous month.
But with many matches played on ‘school nights’, spending on no- and low-alcohol beer soared by 38% on match days.
Meanwhile, grocery price inflation fell again this month (the 17th consecutive fall) from 2.1% to 1.6%, which is the lowest figure in nearly three years. As pressure on finances eased, Kantar revealed sales of branded products increased by 3.6%, outpacing own-label items at 2.7%.

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And Brits are reaching for products typically associated with cooler weather.
Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, said: “We’re still waiting for the great British summer to break through the clouds, and we’re seeing the effects of that in our shopping baskets. Over the past three months, sales of cold and flu treatments jumped by 35%, while sun cream dipped by 10% compared with last year, when we were enjoying the warmest June on record. Some shoppers aren’t letting the disappointing weather dull their glow, however, pushing up sales of artificial tan by 16%.”
McKevitt added that consumer confidence is improving, but retailers will be turning their attention to the King’s Speech this Wednesday to see what the newly elected Government’s legislative agenda holds for the grocery sector.
He said: “The retail landscape looks very different from 2010 when the last Labour Government was in power – and so do our shopping trolleys. As diets have evolved, sales of popcorn, peanut butter and chilled vegetarian products, such as sausages and grills, have more than trebled. We’re also more likely to have premium ground and bean coffee in our cups now.”
Supermarket sales and market share
Ocado was the fastest growing grocer for the fifth month in a row, with sales up by 10.7% over the 12 weeks to 7 July. The online-only retailer now holds 1.8% of the market, up 0.1 percentage points compared with the same period last year.
Budget German supermarket Lidl saw a 7.8% jump in sales, bringing its share of the market to 8.1%. Waitrose gained share for the first time since January 2022, achieving a 0.1 percentage point rise to 4.5% as spending at the retailer increased by 3.3%.
Britain’s largest grocer Tesco achieved its biggest share gain since November 2021, taking 27.7% of the market. Kantar said this represented a 0.7 percentage point increase versus last year.
Meanwhile, Sainsbury’s boosted sales by 4.7% over the latest 12 weeks, bringing its share to 15.3% up from 14.9%. Morrisons now accounts for 8.7% of the market, while Asda holds a 12.7% share. Aldi, officially the UK’s cheapest supermarket, now holds a 10% stake in the sector.
Co-op has a 5.7% share, and Iceland maintains its 2.3% portion of the market, nudging up its sales by 4.1%.
Related: Best of the British aisles: The freshest supermarket offers