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SHOPPERS IN IRELAND spent an additional €92 million on groceries over the Christmas period, 3.8% more than the same period 12 months ago.
The figure is included in the latest supermarket share figures from Kantar Worldpanel in Ireland, published today for the 12 weeks ending 1 January 2017.
Kantar said the fact Christmas Day fell on a Sunday in 2016 may partially account for the increase in spending as shoppers had two extra days to buy groceries.
The average household spend was €193, €35 more than last year.
Friday 23 December was the busiest day for retailers, with 55% of the population going to supermarkets on this date.
Supervalu was the most popular supermarket, increasing its market share to 22.8%. It was followed by Dunnes Stores, Tesco, Aldi and Lidl.
David Berry, director at Kantar Worldpanel, said: “With shoppers willing to fork out more over Christmas, it’s a vital time of year for grocers – an opportunity to pull away from the competition.
Whether that’s via a heartwarming Christmas ad or the best premium own-label offers for the big day, we’ve seen retailers going all out to persuade the Irish public to shop with them this festive season.
“It was Supervalu that came out on top after a tussle with Dunnes Stores at the end of last year, a position the retailer has held for 10 out of the past 12 periods.”
Increase in sales
Despite a return to second place, Dunnes Stores continued to perform well. Sales for the Christmas period were almost 5% higher than in 2015 and the average spend per trip reached a new high of €41.60, significantly ahead of any other retailer.
Tesco continued to improve its performance, with sales growing by 1.3% over the final quarter – up from the 1.2% growth the grocer saw in the 12 weeks to 4 December 2016.
Elsewhere, Aldi posted the strongest growth of all Irish supermarkets, with sales up by 5.3%. The retailer managed to attract 37,000 new shoppers this Christmas, boosting its market share to 10.5%. Lidl also recorded positive results, with festive sales 2.3% higher than in 2015.
Finbar McCarthy, Group Buying Director with Aldi Ireland, said this was the chain’s busiest Christmas ever, noting: “We sold over three million mince pies, 200,000 bags of chocolate coins, 170,000 Irish steaks, 70,000 litres of Prosecco, 60,000 kilograms of Christmas pudding, 30,000 Irish lamb legs and 6,500 litres of Champagne during this period.”
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I’d say that the fact SuperValu takes one4all vouchers helps alot especially at Christmas cause a lot of people get them as part of they’re Christmas Bonus’s these days
Delighted an Irish store came out on top..supporting Irish produce and even Irish music with their adverts
What’s up with the Journal posters. They red thumb improvements in the economy and then red thumb advocating buying Irish. Maybe a little IQ test prior to signing up to be allowed to post would improve the quality of debate and comments posted.
Dunnes is 100% Irish owned, unlike SuperValu
A lot of Journal readers are angry unemployed layabouts who justify their existence by bashing the rest of society who ‘oppress’ them. When the economy improves they’re going to get left behind…..again.
Supervalu are generally locally owned and pay to have the Supervalu brand and buy from Musgraves in Cork. I don’t agree with your comment
@nick Allen I have seen red thumbs on good intentions by posters after a report of a murder on the Journal IQ test ? I would suggest test the plastic between their ears.
Contrary to all the doom and gloom comments posted here on a daily basis there must be a few extra euro’s in someone’s pockets.
Let’s hope it wasn’t borrowed.
Maybe it’s just my local SuperValu, but the prices always seem higher than any other supermarket. I’d only buy the odd thing in there.
It is good to see the economy improving.
@Paddy Lions:
You would have to wonder at the mentality of the people that gave you the red thumbs. Do they not want the economy to improve or do they simply not understand that an increase in retail spend is good for the economy.
A lot of economy improving deniers on the journal…However 95% of economists globally say the Irish economy is improving
So happy not to see Tesco nowhere in sight of this prize
@John003: The economy is not improving it is just that the gap between the rich and poor is expanding. let me explain. the number of brand new cars sold is up. the sale of new houses in expensive areas is up. somebody in a job has more money to spend . somebody with no job has no or little money to spend. do you now get it?
Paddy Lions, It is always good to see the economy growing but this increase as pointed out could well be largely a statistical quirk.
Why is that Alan?
Looks to me like SuperValu are loosing market share…. 23.5% last year versus 22.7% this year. Strange headline ?????
they are the only supermarket to take my one 4 all vouchers, simples
It is not hard to see that SuperValu took the most over Christmas when they are probably the dearest prices compared to Tesco, Dunnes, Lidl & Aldi.
Aldi are bad but lidl are terrible
@Imnotrodten: Whats wrong with Lidl?
How? Why? Back it up
I think he’s more of a Marks and Spencer kinda guy. Fur coat, no knickers.
M&S is overrated.
Lidl is miles better than Aldi IMO
Vegetables are poor at best and about as welcoming as an icy pond
@Imnotrodten:
Yeah, I hate those ignorant vegetable that don’t even say hello when u walk into the shop. You would think that as they are so unwelcoming that Aldi would would them at the back of the shop rather than greeting people when they walk in
Who needs knickers when they have a fur coat
Why go out for a Big Mac when I can have steak at home??
@Michael Lynch: You could go for the Big Mac and then still have the steak Michael, if you know what I mean ;)
I just cant understand why people would..in some cases pay double for products..that can be purchased in aldi also supporting irish producers,
Like for like it’s not double. It’s a bit like drinking cans in a bus shelter or having a pint in the local. Price is only one factor
As long as the Irish suppliers are getting a fair margin for their products. It often ends up if the product is cheap in the Supermarket that the supplier is getting squeezed and will end up cutting corners with quality to stay alive or go bust and the Supermarket chain moves on to the next victim, I mean supplier.
Aldi are regularly beating the competition in quality as well. Whenever you see comparisons in the papers, they’re always in the top 2.
My wife works in the quality side of food industry. In many products lidl and ALDI have lower criteria and standards.
One can decide themselves if the higher quality in other shops is worth the higher price.
It would’ve been well over 100 million if we weren’t all so scared of brexit
@paul:
Somehow I don’t think that crossed anyone’s mind
Orla read the chart wrong, Chart shows Lidl lost 2.3% share but Orla says they gained 2.3%.
How many of these millions are ending up with super rich megacorp owners who want to replace us all with robots?
Seven
@Quiet Goer: I don’t know – tell me?
LOVE SUPERVALU AND DUNNES THE BEST FOR ME
These are sales figures. If you look at the volume figures for the same period you’ll see that Tesco had a 7% volume increase with nobody near that number. This means that yes their sales didn’t grow as Much as Dunnes did but it tells you they’re selling the items far cheaper to only increase sales number by 1.5% when number of items is up 7%. These are the real figures that should be reported
have your say