// Sales of frozen turkey almost double with frozen stuffing up by a fifth as Brits try & stay ahead of supply chain disruptions
// Kantar said the rise in sales of frozen Christmas foods stood out against an overall fall in frozen sales last month
Amid fears of delays and disruptions amid ongoing supply chain issues, more shoppers are filling up their freezers with party food and turkey in time for the festive season.
According to analysts at Kantar, sales of frozen turkey have almost doubled, frozen stuffing is up by a fifth and sales of frozen part-baked bread rolls and other savoury bakery items were up by 9 per cent in Great Britain in the four weeks to October 3rd.
At the frozen foods specialist Iceland, frozen party food sales have tripled and frozen turkeys are up 400 per cent as shoppers plan ahead.
Richard Walker, the boss of the frozen food retailer, said its Christmas website had gone live a month earlier than last year because of customer demand.
However, he said business was steady: “We’re not seeing crazed panic-buying.
Aldi and Tesco have also reported a surge in frozen turkey sales, with many families fearing they will miss out if they leave buying their Christmas bird until the last minute.
Waitrose said there was still demand for fresh turkeys and its pre-orders were up by well over a third on this time last year.
Concerns about the availability of seasonal goods drove about a quarter of shoppers to start their Christmas shopping in September, according to analysts at Mintel, the highest proportion ever tracked by the market research firm.
Kantar consumer insight director Eden Plummer said the rise in sales of frozen Christmas foods stood out against an overall fall in frozen sales last month and a general drop in the grocery market as shoppers enjoyed more freedom to dine out than last year when restrictions were in place in various parts of Great Britain.
“This year you can understand that some people want to make sure they have everything they need in advance to make sure they have the celebration they weren’t able to have last year.”
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