// Brits are buying less fresh food and more frozen items as they cut back on spending amid the current cost of living crisis
// As shoppers look for cheaper alternatives, frozen poultry sales have risen by 12%
While grocery shopping, Brits are swapping out traditional fresh meat products for cheaper frozen and canned alternatives, in a bid to save money as the cost-of-living crisis continues.
According to NielsenIQ, volume sales across all categories at UK supermarkets dropped 5.5% over the past four weeks.
With household bills sky-rocketing in recent months, families across the nation are seeing their weekly budgets squeezed by inflation, which surged to 9.1% in may, it’s highest rate in 40 years, with the Bank of England predicting it could jump to a staggering 11% later on this year.
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As shoppers look for cheaper alternatives, frozen poultry sales have risen by 12% while rice and grains have also jumped 11%
Canned beans and pasta rose by 10% while gravy/stock and canned meat have seen increases of similar proportions.
A trend of shoppers flocking to the discount retailers has continued in a bid to cut costs, with Aldi and Lidl remaining the fastest growing grocers with a combined market share of 19.1%.
Environment Secretary George Eustice explained that more people were instead buying frozen food, which is often cheaper and lasts for longer.
Speaking on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Eustice said: “What we know from the supermarkets is that the profile of the average shopping basket changes and is changing at the moment.
“They are reporting for instance that they are selling slightly more frozen categories and a bit less of the fresh categories.”
Last week, Asda chairman Lord Stuart Rose said some shoppers are setting strict £30 limits at the tills to avoid overspending.
“What we’re seeing is a massive change in behaviour,” he told the BBC.
“People are trading back. They are worried about spending. They’ve got a limit that they’ve set out, too. They say £30 is one limit … and if they get to more than £30 then that’s it, stop. It’s the same with petrol.”
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