Inflation led to surge in Christmas grocery spend compared to 2021

In Ireland, visits to stores increased by 7% and grocery sales rose by 10% in the four weeks leading up to Christmas from the same time in 2021, according to the latest figures by research group Kantar.

With a rate of 15.4%, grocery inflation in Ireland was higher than even the high levels seen in the UK in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

Sales in December reached a record-breaking €1.3 billion, according to data from Kantar, as the nation celebrated its first Christmas without Covid restrictions since 2019.

Despite 46.5% of consumers have previously stated they planned to cut back due to the cost-of-living crisis, shoppers spent on average €58 more on groceries in the past month compared to the same period in 2021.

The busiest day for grocery shopping was December 23rd when €94.4 million—an increase of €8.6 million from the corresponding day in 2021—passed through the registers of the nation’s supermarkets.

During the holiday season, it was difficult to resist the seasonal treats, as sales of chocolate, cheese, and paté increased by 9.9%, while sales of mince pies increased by 15.5%.

Dunnes held the largest market share, or 23%, for the 12-week period ending on December 25.

Tesco came in second with 22.6%, followed by SuperValu with 22.2%, Lidl with 11.8%, and Aldi with 11.6 percent.

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