While people visited stores less often than in 2024, they bought more each time, adding an extra £71 million to the market. Meanwhile, sales reached a record £4.44 billion in December as shoppers treated themselves over the festive period.

New data from Worldpanel by Numerator also shows that grocery inflation now stands at 6.2%, up from 4.82% last month.

Shoppers celebrated in style this Christmas, with Monday 22^nd December proving the busiest day in stores as households stocked up for the big day. In the run-up to Christmas, an extra £30.4 million was spent on alcohol, pastries, chocolate, savoury snacks and soft drinks.

Business Development Director at Worldpanel by Numerator, Emer Healy said promotions played a bigger role than ever.

“Shoppers in Northern Ireland saw a boost in typical Christmas fare and a combined £6.7 million was spent on Champagne, turkey, Brussels sprouts and parsnips as many tucked into a traditional Christmas dinner,” said Emer.

“Branded goods continued to perform well, with spending up £72.3 million, a 3% year-on-year increase, lifting their value share to 55% as shoppers turned to brands they know and trust. Own-label ranges also grew, up 0.9%, with an extra £16 million spent, taking their share to 42.7% of the market by value.

“Promotions played a bigger role than ever, with discounted items now accounting for 25.6% of value sales, a new record in Northern Ireland. In total, shoppers spent over £1.1 billion on promotions.”

Meanwhile, Tesco remains Northern Ireland’s largest grocer, growing its market share to 38.4%, its highest level on record, up 8.5% on last year. This growth came from both new shoppers and bigger baskets, adding £104 million to its performance.

Sainsbury’s follows with a 17.1% share, up 4.5% year-on-year, boosted by new shopper recruitment worth £26.2 million.

Asda holds a 14.9% value share this period, while Lidl increased its share to 9.5%, up 6.2%. Lidl welcomed new shoppers and saw existing customers buying more per trip, contributing an uplift of £15.6 million.

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In the year to 5^th October, shoppers spent £4.4 billion, a 2.1% increase on the previous year. And although people made 3.3% fewer trips to stores, they bought more items each time, adding £69.3 million to overall market growth.

Meanwhile, grocery inflation here now stands at 3.69%, up slightly from 3.38% last month.

With the colder weather returning, shoppers spent an extra £68k on fresh soup, £350k on bakery bread, £4.8 million on biscuits and £2.1 million on coffee, showing a clear move towards comfort and routine.

As Emer Healy, Business Development Director at Worldpanel by Numerator said, consumers continue to look for best value when shopping.

“Branded goods continue to perform well, with spending up £47 million, a 2% year-on-year increase, lifting their value share to 55%,” said Emer.

“Own-label ranges also grew strongly, up 2.1% as shoppers spent an extra £39 million, taking their share to 43.1% of the market by value.

“To stretch their budgets, consumers are combining own-label products with promotions. Discounted items now account for 23% of value sales, with over £1 billion spent on promotions in total.”

Meanwhile, Tesco remains Northern Ireland’s largest grocer, growing its market share to 37.6%, up 7.6% from last year. This growth came from both new shoppers and bigger baskets, adding £91 million to its performance.

Sainsbury’s follows with a 16.9% share, up 3.3% year on year, boosted by new shopper recruitment worth £24.7 million.

Asda holds a 15.3% value share this period, while Lidl increased its share to 9.3%, up 4.5%, as more customers visited its stores more often, contributing an uplift of £9.3 million.

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In the year to 7^th September 2025, £4.4 billion was spent in Northern Ireland’s grocery sector, representing a 2% increase on the previous year.

The latest data from Worldpanel by Numerator reveals that this growth was partly driven by the end of the summer holidays and the return to school and work for many families. Although shoppers made 2.8% fewer trips to stores, they bought more items per visit, adding £76.1 million to overall market growth. Grocery inflation now stands at 3.38%, up slightly from 3.09% last month.

With routines returning after the summer, an extra £57.5 million was spent on wine, fruit, chocolate and toiletries. Households with children also boosted their spending on typical lunchbox staples, with an additional £11.4 million going on soft drinks, water, biscuits, smoothies and yoghurts.

Emer Healy, Business Development Director at Worldpanel by Numerator said that while there is still a demand for branded goods, own-label goods continue to be in demand by consumers.

“Branded goods remain popular, with spending up £41 million, a 1.7% increase year-on-year, which lifted their value share to 54.9%. Own label also performed strongly, growing by 2.2% as shoppers spent an extra £40.6 million, taking its share to 43.2% of the market by value,” said Emer.

Emer added that to make the most of their budgets, many consumers are choosing a mix of own-label items and promotions.

“Promotions continue to play a key role in the market, accounting for 23% of value sales, the highest level recorded to date in Northern Ireland, with over £1 billion spent on discounted products,” she said.

Meanwhile, in the supermarkets, Tesco retains the largest market share at 37.5%, up 7.6% from last year. This growth was driven by both new customer acquisition alongside larger trips, contributing £83.3 million to its overall performance.

Sainsbury’s holds a 16.8% market share, up 2.4% year-on-year. A rise in shopper numbers and basket size helped boost its performance by £21.3 million.

Asda holds 15.4% value share this period and welcomed new shoppers in store which contributed £5.5 million to their overall performance. Lidl’s market share rose to 9.3%, an increase of 4.2%, as the retailer attracted new customers in store alongside existing shoppers making more frequent trips. This resulted in an uplift of £12.8 million.

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In the year to 18^th May 2025, £4.4 billion passed through the tills of grocers in Northern Ireland, an increase of 1.5% compared to last year.

Kantar suggests this growth may also be linked to the warmer weather we enjoyed last month. Although shoppers made fewer store visits, down 1.7%, they did pick up more items per trip. This behaviour contributed an additional £59.1 million to the overall market performance.

Meanwhile, grocery inflation in Northern Ireland now stands at 2.32%, slightly up from 2.26% the previous month.

Shoppers across the region bathed in the warmer weather with alfresco dining and as a result, spent an extra £4.7 million on sausages, potato salad and dips. Wine sales also rose, with an additional £3.7 million spent compared to this time in 2024.

Business Development Director at Kantar, Emer Healy said that many shoppers sought value through a combination of promotions and own-label options.

“Promotional activity remains strong, making up over 22.6% of value sales, with nearly £1 billion spent on promotional deals,” said Emer.

“Spending on branded products rose by £31.5 million, a year-on-year increase of 1.3%, boosting branded value share to 54.8%. Own-label products grew at a faster rate of 1.8%, with spending up by £32.7 million, bringing own-label value share to 43.3%.”

Meanwhile, Tesco continues to lead the market with a 36.9% share, up 6.6% on last year. Its growth was driven by more frequent trips and the attraction of new shoppers, adding £50.1 million to its performance.

Sainsbury’s holds a 16.7% share, up 0.3% year-on-year. This growth came from both new shoppers and increased volumes from existing ones, contributing £84.9 million overall.

Asda’s market share rose to 16%, up 0.9%, with more trips and larger baskets adding £7.9 million to its performance. Lidl now holds a 9.2% share, an increase of 2.3%. Its growth was supported by more frequent visits from existing customers and the addition of new shoppers, contributing £6.8 million.

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While shoppers made fewer trips to stores, with visits down by 1.3%, they picked up more packs per visit, according to the latest data from Kantar. This change in behaviour contributed an additional £35 million to the overall market performance.

Northern Ireland grocery inflation now stands at 2.32%, up 0.06 percentage points from last month – the first slight increase in 18 months, however, remains just above levels last seen in March 2022.

Meanwhile, Northern Irish shoppers spent an additional £14.4 million on their favourite brands, marking a year-on-year increase of 0.6%. This uplift has boosted the branded value share to 54.6%, while own-label products account for 43.5% of the value market share.

Additionally, many shoppers here have turned to promotions and own-label products in their search for the best value. Promotional activity remains strong, representing over 22.5% of value sales. In total, shoppers spent almost £1 billion on promotional deals.

Business Development Director at Kantar, Emer Healy said Northern Irish shoppers are showing restraint due to the later Easter this year.

SPENDING AROUND CELEBRATIONS

“Over the past 12 weeks, shoppers spent an additional £8.2 million on wine, ready meals and biscuits combined, largely drive by celebrations surrounding St Patrick’s Day,” said Emer.

“With Easter falling later this year, shoppers in Northern Ireland have shown restraint, spending £8.3 million less on Easter eggs and seasonal confectionery compared to the same period last year.”

Looking at grocery market share, Tesco continues to lead the market, holding a 36.6% share, an increase of 5.2% compared to last year. This growth has been driven by a rise in store visits and the attraction of new shoppers, contributing an additional £61.7 million to its performance.

Sainsbury’s holds a 16.7% market share, with the retailer welcoming an influx of new customers, while existing shoppers purchased greater volumes, contributing £68 million to overall performance.

Asda holds 16.2% of the market, an increase of 1.6% over this period. Growth in volume per trip and the acquisition of new shoppers together added £6.4 million to its performance. Lidl now holds a 9.2% market share, up 2.3% year-on-year, with more frequent trips boosting overall performance by £10 million.

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