New figures show households across the UK have changed their shopping habits since the government launched its Be Ready public awareness campaign 10 days ago, with sales of essential supplies rising sharply.
Data from Worldpanel by Numerator found that sales of hand sanitiser have rocketed 83% year-on-year, bottled water is up by a third, and jarred goods have risen 37%. The number of people buying tinned meat each day after the campaign launch rose by 43%, equivalent to an extra 400,000 shoppers a day.
Campaign impact on grocery sales
The Be Ready campaign, which advises households to have three days' worth of food, water and other essentials, appears to have prompted more people to add recommended items to their weekly shops. However, Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Worldpanel by Numerator, said this was not panic buying.
"Shoppers clearly took notice of the 'Be Ready' campaign, but this wasn't panic buying, with less than a third of households buying bottled water in October," McKevitt said. "Growth came from more people adding the recommended items on the government's checklist to their weekly shop, not from shoppers piling their trolleys high, which is very much in line with what the government wanted households to do."
Inflation and shopping trends
Worldpanel by Numerator's research found grocery price inflation remains relatively subdued but rose slightly to 2.6%, up from 2.5% in the previous four weeks. Data from NielsenIQ (NIQ), another provider, showed sales of canned goods have surged 27%.
NIQ said households are shopping just over 2% more often for groceries than a year ago, and that average spend per visit is 1.5% higher at an average £18.96. It recorded food inflation at 2.9% in October, up from 2.4% in September.
Outlook for supermarket sales
Mike Watkins, head of retailer and business insight at NIQ, said improved growth in supermarket sales in October was helped by the half-term holidays and Halloween, which encouraged shoppers to spend more on special treats for the family. He noted this was despite consumer confidence falling, suggesting shoppers are still willing to spend when there is an occasion to celebrate.
Watkins added that the industry needs to get shoppers in the mood to spend, so the launch of Christmas advertising campaigns will be important in showcasing what's new, different and affordable. With Black Friday providing another focus for shoppers in November, he expects the acceleration in supermarket sales to begin in early December.
