UK shoppers are predicted to spend £5bn on food over the seven days to 24 December, making it the biggest ever week for food sales, according to NIQ.
The news comes as total till sales growth at UK supermarkets have slowed 6.8% in the last four weeks ended 2 December, as shoppers save now ahead of Christmas.
The consumer intelligence company found promotional activity rose 25%, up from 23% last year, as inflation slowed.
Meanwhile, promotional spend was pushed to its highest level since February 2020.
Online grocery shopping sales grew 8.2% compared to a 5.3% bump for in-store shopping, pushing online market share to 11.5% compared to 11.2% last month.
The growth remains in line with NIQ predictions for the festive period as consumers aim to plan their shopping in advance, budget for their Christmas shop, and avoid in-store shopping in cold weather.
Sales for meat and poultry soared 10.1% making it the fastest growing category, while confectionery sales grew 10.2%.
However, general merchandise sales fell 7% across the major supermarkets as shoppers sought to save money.
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Sainsbury’s was the best performing grocer of the big four over the last 12 weeks, while Lidl and Aldi maintained their position as the fastest growing retailers.
NIQ UK head of retailer and business insight Mike Watkins said: “We know that almost ¾ of households think retailer promotions are important when choosing where to make their grocery shop at Christmas.
“NIQ research also shows that loyalty points play a significant role in helping shoppers save money over the festive period with over half of shoppers look for personalised loyalty card prices and promotions and 38% cash in loyalty points saved throughout the year”.
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