// Shoppers stay “ultra local” with convenience store sales up almost 20%
// Iceland gains 23% on market share thanks to demand for frozen food
// The Co-op also makes new headway with market share up by 16 per cent
Sales across the UK’s convenience stores rose by almost a fifth in the four weeks to June 13 2020 as shoppers stayed local against the backdrop of coronavirus.
According to Nielsen’s Total Till data, sales were up 17 per cent for convenience stores, ahead of overall UK grocery sales which rose 14 per cent.
READ MORE: 3/5 consumers used more local shops to support them during lockdown
Online grocery sales rose 115 per cent compared to the same time last year, with online sales maintaining its 13 per cent share of the grocery market for the four weeks to mid-June.
Nielsen found 25 per cent of shoppers now claim to shop more at their local store than they did pre-Covid.
The average spend per shopping visit across all formats was £20.32, a decrease of £1.30 compared to the previous four weeks.
In the last 12 weeks Iceland has continued to outperform the UK’s largest grocery retailers, with a 23 per cent gain in market share.
Nielsen attributed this to a surge in demand for frozen foods, which rose by 32 per cent in the last four weeks.
The Co-op also increased its hold on the market by 16 per cent, as shoppers stuck to convenience stores even for their larger shopping trips.
“After three months of lockdown, UK shoppers have clearly adapted to their new shopping routines and in the last four weeks have shopped in the same way as they did in April and May – fewer visits but bigger trolleys and bigger basket spend,” explained Nielsen’s UK Head of Retailer and Business Insight Mike Watkins.
“Whilst the dramatic shift to online has been significant, we expect this share of sales to be maintained over the next few months. However, what is just as important is how shoppers have now embraced ‘ultra local’ stores during this time,” Watkins added.
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