Talking Retail Grocery and product news for independent retailers
Other categories such as frozen meat alternatives saw a decline in volume as shoppers bought less due to the cost of living crisis.
Beer sales soared on the run up to Christmas, the six-week period preceding saw a sales value totalling £7,500,000+, with 1,000,000+ units being sold as people looked for ways to relax and unwind with friends and family.
Consumers got the beers in the last minute ahead of Christmas as sales soared in the four days leading (21-24),- accounting for over a fifth (21%) of all sales made.
The biggest winner for beer sales during this period was Scotland, establishing itself as the beer capital this Christmas with sales achieving over £890,000 with over 110,000 units sold.
Scotland was followed by the North West, with £880,000 in sales, and 117,000 units sold. Notably London achieved just over £720,000 in sales whilst securing over 100,000 units.
Last minute buying was a trend also evident in the snacking category too, sparking an increase of over 10% during the Christmas period. Snacks during this six-week period secured over £30,00,000 in sales with 2021 seeing just over £28,000,000.
Most appeared to hold out for pay-day purchases as the busiest days for sales occurred during mid-late December.
When it comes to chocolate though, consumers were buying well in advance and sales volumes soared, indicating the public were actively seeking products in-store as gifts for loved ones and for festive treats. Sales values indicated a Y-O-Y increase by 6%, rising to over £27,300,000.
Reapp Group sales and marketing director, James Lamplugh said: “The data suggests more favourable of the ‘smaller luxuries’ on offer, likely due to the cost of living crisis.
“People are still willing to allocate extra money for these categories, even with increased prices across the board on staple Christmas dinner items. The data also supports our previous predictions that beers, snacking and more would be the standout winners this Christmas.”
