UK Supermarket Sales Set to Hit £20bn for Christmas, Says NIQ
NIQ Global Intelligence PLC NIQ | 0.00 |
NIQ Global Intelligence plc reported that total till sales at UK supermarkets grew by 3.3% in the four weeks ending 29th November 2025. The company projects that nearly £20 billion will be spent on Christmas groceries over the four weeks to 27th December, representing a 2.8% increase compared to last year. During the week ending 20th December, spending is expected to reach £5.7 billion, marking it as the largest shopping week of the year. The report highlights that UK consumers are prioritising affordability this Christmas, with 40% of households planning to use loyalty points and vouchers, and 23% intending to shop around for promotions. Ocado saw the highest retailer growth over the last twelve weeks at 14.0%, followed by Lidl at 9.8% and Marks & Spencer at 9.2%. Premium private label products experienced an 8% growth in value sales and a 4% increase in unit growth, making it the fastest growing segment. Sales on promotion accounted for 25% of FMCG sales in the past four weeks, with in-store visits rising by 4.5%. The share of own label sales purchased on promotion increased to 17% from 16% a year ago, while the promotional share for branded products remained at 33%. Fresh foods were the fastest growing category with a 5.3% increase, and ambient foods grew by 2.6%. There was notable growth in sales of seasonal ingredients such as chestnuts (+28%), almonds (+11%), and sundried tomatoes (+19%).
