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IRISH SUPERMARKETS EXPERIENCED the busiest month of grocery sales “ever recorded” in March due to unprecedented levels of demand fueled by the coronavirus crisis, new figures show.
The latest Kantar Worldpanel supermarket shares show that grocery sales reached €2.8 billion in the last 12 weeks – topping last year by €250 million and exceeding the previous peak seen at Christmas 2019.
Shoppers first raced to supermarkets on 12 March after Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced the closure of schools, creches, and universities until 29 March – those restrictions have since been extended and tightened.
Government officials and supermarkets pleaded with the public to not stockpile or panic-buy after pictures of empty supermarket shelves and long checkout queues began circulating online.
Supermarkets have since implemented social distancing measures and dedicated shopping sessions for older people.
Joni McKenna / Twitter
Joni McKenna / Twitter / Twitter
“Retailers and their staff have risen to an enormous challenge since restrictions on movement were announced on 12 March. They have been on the frontline as households across Ireland prepared to spend more time at home, with more mouths to feed,” David Berry, managing director at Kantar, said.
The average household spent an additional €122 on groceries during the four weeks to 22 March, largely driven by shoppers making bigger trips, according to Berry.
It is estimated that 27% of Irish households made a shopping trip containing €120 or more worth of groceries – compared to 15% of household last year.
According to Kantar, sales of hand soap rose by 300% and household cleaners were up by 170% in the four weeks to 22 March. Facial tissues and toilet paper were also in demand, with sales up by 140% and 86% respectively.
The sales of frozen food and items with a long shelf life increased by 32% while the demand for fresh food increased by 16% over the last four weeks.
“While we’d expect sales to remain strong in the coming weeks and months, there will likely be a rebalancing of sales of fresh and non-perishable items as shoppers with full freezers and cupboards replenish fresh supplies,” said Berry.
Dunnes Stores retained its position as Ireland’s most popular supermarket but Lidl was the fastest-growing of all big retailers during the 12 weeks.
Dunnes, SuperValu and Tesco each saw sales increase by just over 10%. All three grocers hold almost equal market share, Dunnes’ takes the largest portion at 22.3%, with SuperValu and Tesco following closely at 21.3%.
Lidl’s sales went up by 14.7% and its market share increased to 12.3%. Aldi matched Lidl’s market share and grew sales by 11.9%.
Kantar monitors the household grocery purchasing habits of 5,000 demographically representative households in the Republic of Ireland.
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Libraries are wonderful places and we need to get our kids off their phones and into the library.
I don’t want staff less libraries.
Is is really such a big drain on resources to staff a library?
We are ripping the soul out of our communities in our pursuit of cost saving.
What hyperbole. How does the library staying open a little later without staff ripping the soul of of a community?
Tom’s referring to the pursuit of cost savings, of which staffless libraries are a ludicrous example. If Lenihan hadn’t guaranteed unsecured bonds, and FG upheld his anti-capitalist action (secured bond holders pay a premium) we might have had extended hours with actual Irish workers manning the libraries and paid for their work.
Tailgating? These library’s must be huge.
Big enough to teach you the plural of library
The drunkenness and the children left unsupervised highlight a big flaw in this crazy idea, Health & Safety.
Another big flaw is the countless community events and children learning sessions which will no longer be run.
Well done to the councillors that voted against this.
@Paolo:
How much of this kind of behaviour happens when they are staffed? A comparison would be useful
Why couldn’t communities organise events in libraries regardless? The only blame’s on the stupid parents who drop their child off to use a library after dark with no staff there, as I see it. Why wouldn’t they pay a babysitter to look after their child?
In Fingal, last month FF, FG & so called Independents aligned to both parties came together to vote down my emergency motion to end the scheme.
Oh so staffless libraries are a success? It would be cheaper to hire actual staff than to roll out this nonsense! And destroying my livelihood..
It’s the twenty first century. Time to leave things like libraries, quills and penny farthing bicycles behind.
Seeing as how a person can get a book for free in a library, they’ll always have a certain advantage even over a kindle. Putting them in the same bracket as quills and penny farthings is beyond stupid.
Librarys are without doubt a wonderful amenity. And they do seemto keep up with the times. My only issue is with staff wages. Head librarians are pulling 60k – 70k. The person running the local supermarket is on half that…..
I didn’t say anythimg about switching to Kindles, but there is nothing stopping free book-lending from being done electronically. Personally, paper libraries are useless to be as I am vision impaired, yet I am expected to pay for them throug my taxes.
Ironically, the people tasked with bringing literature into the 21st century have n9 imagination, and continue to tinker around the edges with gimmicks like self-service libraries. Meanwhile, people who don’t live near a library are crying out for broadband services that could benefit everybody.
There’s nothing wrong with my eye sight, but yet in all I have to pay for the “blind persons” tax credit and relief through my taxes.
Libraries are also information and advice centres and are one of the places where citizens can get access to further education, official forms and publications, remedial education, groups and clubs, local announcements, talks etc.
There is usually a librarian and library assistants. The librarian would be qualified at third level in social sciences.
Staffless libraries are book-swap facilities and I’d worry they would excuse councils for continually cutting hours. Libraries in Dublin used to open until 8 every weekday and 5 on Saturdays. That has been cut since the 80s and once cut it doesn’t revert.
My local library still does open until 8 pm, and on Saturdays. In Dublin. Not sure how valid your other points are now.
You’re right about the lack of decent broadband, but where else can people get large print books short of buying them? Libraries have a lot more to offer than books too. A friend of mine got great service there after an eye operation. They have enlargers now for books, large keyboards, online access for people without web access, and DVDs and magazines. I couldn’t subscribe to all the ones I read and am glad to keep up with developments.
@Neal, not Neil.: tell me what library stocks quills and penny farthing bicycles because I’d like to have a look at them. Our library just has books and computers – the computers especially are in great demand and provide a great service.
I’ve been a member of Walkinstown library for 45 years and can honestly say that the staff are the reason that its such a wonderful institution. They brought in a machine a while ago that you can use to take out and return books but I won’t use it. The knowledge that the staff have in recommending authors based on your reading pattern can’t be replaced by machines . Sometimes the old fashioned way just doesn’t need changing and surely with extended opening hours as normal in most areas you don’t need access to an empty library ( unless you’re dropping the kids for free baby sitting ffs)
have your say