Coronavirus: UK grocery sales soar £470m due to panic buying
Grocery sales at UK supermarkets soared by £467m as customers stockpiled amid escalating fears over the spread of coronavirus in the UK, according to the latest research.
Food sales jumped 22 per cent year-on-year in the week ending 14 March driven by an increase in essential household items and long lasting foods.
Supermarkets were forced to issue a letter to customers last week urging them to avoid stockpiling items, which had created shortages for other shoppers particularly key workers and elderly or vulnerable people.
Household and pet care items sales were up 65 per cent during the week, ambient groceries – such as dried pasta and tinned food – saw sales increase 62 per cent.
Sales of heath, beauty, toiletries and babycare items increased 33 per cent.
Meanwhile, sales of beer, wine and spirits were up 11 per cent and impulse snacking product sales increased 18 per cent, according to the latest research by Neilsen.
Children’s medicine sales soared 228 per cent and toilet roll sales 140 per cent as shoppers earlier this month prepared for the potential lockdown, which was announced last night. Pasta, canned meat and canned or packet soup also saw a huge jump in sales.
Mike Watkins, head of retailer and business insight at Nielsen, said: “The week ending 14 March was the first week we witnessed retailers come under significant pressure to serve consumers, as supply chains were stretched in order to keep up with the unprecedented demand from shoppers.”
Separate research published yesterday by Kantar suggested that shoppers adding a few extra items to their baskets and making more frequent trips was causing the shortages.
The average spend per supermarket trip jumped 16 per cent in the week ending 17 March to £22.13 compared to the same week a month ago. Meanwhile, an extra 15m supermarket visits were recorded.