Recent data shows that grocery price inflation climbed to 6.3% for the 12 weeks ending September 7, up from 5.4% during the previous 12-week period, reports RTE.
According to Worldpanel by Numerator, the return to school season contributed to a 6.1% rise in take-home grocery sales in the four weeks up to September 7.
Visits to stores rose by 0.7%, though customers purchased fewer items per visit. Overall, spending on groceries increased by €68.8 compared to the same period last year, according to the latest data, reports RTE.
Worldpanel by Numerator highlighted that families with children spent more on common lunchbox items, with an extra €5.3m spent on sweet bakery products, fresh fruits, cereals, porridge, savoury snacks, and yoghurts.
Convenience also played a major role in purchasing choices, with €1.6m more spent on ready-to-eat meals—both fresh and frozen—as well as cooking sauces, in comparison to last year.
Shoppers made strong use of promotional offers, spending €758m on discounted items over the most recent 12-week span—an 8.2% increase from the year before, reports RTE.
The report noted that promotional purchases now represent 21.5% of total grocery sales. Categories such as laundry products, bottled water, squash, and smoothies outperformed the wider market in terms of promotional sales.
The data also indicated that online grocery shopping continued its upward trend, with sales rising 6.3% year-on-year, accounting for 5.8% of total market value.
Consumers spent an additional €12m through online channels during the period, bolstered by new customers who added €7.7m to overall growth, reports RTE.
Almost 18% of Irish households purchased groceries online during the 12 weeks being analysed, according to Worldpanel by Numerator.
In terms of retailer market share, Dunnes held the top position at 23.9% during the 12-week period, with a slower annual sales growth of 6.1%, reports RTE.
Tesco followed closely with a 23.7% market share and experienced 6.4% year-on-year value growth. Shoppers visited stores 1.3% more often, and combined with new customers, contributed €23.7m to Tesco’s performance.
SuperValu accounted for 19.5% of the grocery market and saw a 4.9% growth. Customers made the highest number of store visits, averaging 24.7 over the period—up 9.6% from last year—adding €61.6m in additional sales, reports RTE.
Lidl achieved a 14.2% market share and posted the fastest growth rate among retailers at 9.5%. It also saw a 2.5% increase in volume per shopping trip, resulting in an added €11.5m to its sales.
Aldi held an 11.6% share of the market, with growth of 4.7%. A rise in store visits and new customer activity led to an extra €16.1m in revenue, reports RTE.
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