Grocery inflation eased slightly to 4.3%, offering modest relief to shoppers, who on average spent £476 at the supermarkets in December – an additional £15 in comparison to December 2024.

The latest data from Worldpanel by Numerator reveals that spending on promotions and deals reached its highest levels since before the pandemic at 33.3%, while supermarket premium own-label sales exceeded £1 billion for the first time.

As anticipated, Monday 22^nd December was the busiest day for grocery sales, however shoppers made the most trips on Tuesday 23^rd December, spending less but topping up on last-minute festive essentials.

While traditional, large format supermarkets accounted for 60.3% of sales over the four-week period to 28^th December, discounter retailers saw their biggest ever share of sales at Christmas, reaching a total of 16.8%. Online retail grew also at 7.5%, reaching a total share of 12.2%.

Notably, chocolate remained one of the top purchases for consumers, despite higher prices, with chocolate’s exposure to inflationary cocoa process bring the typical price of seasonal tubs to over £5 for the first time. And despite average pack sizes shrinking by 5% down to 551g, these festive favourites remained a tradition with sales rising by 19% in the four weeks to Christmas, with nearly one million shoppers buying into the category.

Fraser McKevitt, Head of Retail and Consumer Insight at Worldpanel by Numerator said easing inflation gave households a little more room to spend.

“It was a Christmas of smart savings and considered choices – almost every household bought into supermarkets’ premium ranges, while price remained front of mind,” he said.

“Over the last five years, the number of households cutting alcohol out of their shopping basket altogether has steadily increased. Alongside this, we’ve seen a rapid rise in sales of low and no-alcohol alternatives. However, the slight dip in the numbers of buyers in December may signal that the category is beginning to mature, while the rise in sales shows that converted households are doubling down on their favourite low and no-alcohol tipples.

“What’s clear is that as consumers, we’re open to more variance during those traditional, festive moments – whether it’s switching the Bucks Fizz for Kombucha or enjoying a classic cocktail alongside a more health-focused option, consumers are finding enjoyment in more choice.”

Meanwhile, Tesco sales were higher than in 2024, with its share rising by 0.2 percentage points to 28.7%, the greatest proportion of the market since March 2015. Lidl made the greatest gain in market share among the supermarkets, adding 0.5 percentage points to claim 7.8% of the market – a record for the discounter over the festive period.

The post Promotions, premium own-label and no alcohol options – consumers’ main Christmas shopping choices revealed first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

CBRE NI has been appointed to oversee the sale of the prime retail property located in Coleraine’s highly sought-after Riverside Retail Park.

The unit has become available following Lidl’s relocation within the retail park and is now ready for immediate occupation. CBRE NI is inviting offers in the region of £1,200,000 for the property.

Strategically positioned in one of Coleraine’s most prominent shopping destinations, the property benefits from excellent visibility and accessibility. Its appeal is further enhanced by the nearby Ulster University campus, which currently accommodates approximately 6,000 students.

Stephen Smith, Associate Director at CBRE NI said: “Northern Ireland’s retail sector is expected to grow throughout 2025, with this performance being boosted by the availability of prime properties including the former Lidl store at Riverside Retail Park.

“With its excellent location, strong footfall, and adaptable space, we anticipate significant interest from potential occupiers.”

The property holds an EPC rating of D-79 and offers 10,000 sq ft of bulky goods space along with 8,270 sq ft of B4 storage and distribution space, providing flexible and versatile options for potential occupiers.

Further information about the property can be found at www.cbreni.com.

Interested parties are invited to contact Stephen Smith, Associate Director at CBRE Northern Ireland, for further information: stephen.smith@cbreni.com

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January spelled relief for shoppers as grocery price inflation slowed to 3.3% over the four weeks to 26^th January, according to the latest figures from Kantar.

Spending on promotions rose year-on-year, by £274 million, accounting for 27.2% of sales.

Meanwhile, health-conscious consumers spent £1.2 billion on fresh fruit, vegetables and salad in January – £193 million more than in December, and sales of low and no-alcohol drinks were 7% higher than last January.

With household budgets typically stretched at this time of year, retailers played their part in easing the pressure on purse strings, according to Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar.

“Supermarkets were dishing out the discounts this New Year, and consumers responded,” he said.

“Spending on promotions rose year-on-year by £274 million, accounting for 27.2% of sales – the highest level in January since 2021.

“People also turned to non-branded products to help keep costs down, with own label as a proportion of sales hitting a record high of 52.3% in January. Spending on supermarkets’ own lines was up 5.4%, helped by consumers buying premium own-label products in the couple of days leading up to New Year’s Eve,” added Fraser McKevitt.

Typically, shoppers have an eye on wellness, not just their wallets at the start of the year, and 2025 was no exception. More than 10% of the average consumer’s January grocery bill was spent on fresh fruit, vegetables and salad.

“Rolling into the new year, health tends to play a bigger role in our grocery choices,” added Nathan Ward, business unit director for usage and out-of-home at Kantar.

“Over a quarter of take-home food and drink in January is chosen with health at least partially in mind, as shoppers tell us they want to eat less processed food and feel the benefit of fibre and vitamins.”

Sales of low and no alcohol drinks were 7% higher than last January and 6.7% of households bought at least one of these alternatives.

“It’s no surprise to see the low and no alcohol trend make its mark in January but given some of the generational splits we have seen in grocery, it’s interesting that older shoppers are just as likely to take these products home as younger ones,” said Fraser McKevitt.

“Not everyone signed up for dry January though, with 49% of people buying an alcoholic drink this month – but this is a pretty big drop from December’s 76%.”

Meanwhile, Lidl’s sales rose 7.4% over the 12 weeks to 26^th January, making it three continual years of growth for the discounter, whose share hit 7.2%.

Tesco gained the most share, its 28.5% hold of the market is 0.7% higher than this time last year, and it also saw its fastest rise in sales since April 2024 at 5.6%. Sainsbury’s outpaced the market at 4.2% sales growth, increasing its share from 15.7% to 15.9%.

Convenience retailer Co-op has returned to growth, with sales rising by 0.8% giving it a 5.2% share of the market, while spending at Iceland was 1.0% higher, maintaining its share of 2.4%.

The post Healthier choices drive supermarket spending in new year first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.

In an announcement on their social media, the retailer said that given the red weather warning in place right across Ireland, they had taken the decision to close their stores for the day.

They added that stores will plan to reopen one hour after weather warnings lift in local areas, but only if safe to do so.

“Customers are advised to check latest weather warning information for their local area,” they added.

The retailer was commended on social media for their decision, with many praising them for putting their staff safety to the fore.

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The 26-year-old was charged with burglary with intent to steal and two counts of criminal damage.

The incident happened during the early hours of Monday 20^th January at the store, located in the Kitchen Hill area of the town.

Police received a report that at approximately 4.30am, the front entrance door of the shop had been smashed. The suspect continued to then smash the glass of a second internal door using a brick and a fire extinguisher, before entering the premises.

When police arrived, the suspect was located by officers in the nearby Kitchen Road area.

The man appeared before Lisburn Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 21^st January.

As is usual procedure, all charges will be reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service.

A spokesperson for Lidl told NR: “We can confirm that our Lurgan store was closed temporarily for a few hours yesterday morning, Monday 20^th January due to an incident in the store.

“Thankfully, all of our employees are safe and well and the store has since reopened. We are working collaboratively with PSNI on their ongoing investigation into the matter.”

The post Court appearance for suspect in Lidl store burglary first appeared on Neighbourhood Retailer.