This is how much every major supermarket has boosted its sales during the lockdown

Convenience store sales have leapt nearly 40 per cent over the past four weeks as more people turn to their local shops in the face of huge queues at big supermarkets and a lack of online deliveries.
Supermarkets have been forced to adapt to new ways of working due to the coronavirus.Supermarkets have been forced to adapt to new ways of working due to the coronavirus.
Supermarkets have been forced to adapt to new ways of working due to the coronavirus.

The latest data from Kantar shows that convenience stores, whether independently owned or run by the major grocers, are thriving as people shop closer to home.

Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, said: "The two things are combined, so yes, people are having to queue to get into larger supermarkets and also we've been told to stay locally."

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He said that many people are combining their daily exercise with a trip to the local shop.

"People are still doing big weekly shops, but they're also making other trips in the week. Those will typically be to local, small stores where you can get in and out quickly."

Traditionally, Friday and Saturday have always been the busiest days of the week for shopping, but this has changed now that so many people are stuck at home during the coronavirus pandemic.

"Friday and Saturday used to be far and away the most popular days," said Mr McKevitt.

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"Sunday is a less busy day, partly because there are shorter opening hours. It is pretty flat across every day of the week now, Monday to Saturday, and it is only slightly busier on Friday and Saturday.

"The one that's seen the biggest increase is Wednesday. It used to be the quietest day of the week."

The latest Kantar figures show that shoppers spent 9 per cent more in supermarkets in the 12 weeks to April 19 as the country continued to stock up on essential supplies, although growth slowed from the stockpiling spree in March. The grocery market grew by 5.5 per cent over the past four weeks, noticeably slower than the 21 per cent rise recorded in March, as the mass panic buying subsided.

Nevertheless, sales this month were still £524m higher than they were in April 2019, which Kantar described as a "sizeable increase". The rise is primarily down to changing habits, as people adapt to a new way of living, for example the number of lunches eaten at home has nearly doubled under lockdown.

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Mr McKevitt said shoppers are finding new ways to enjoy themselves while staying home. Baking products continue to see strong growth, with sales of suet up by 115 per cent and sugar by 46 per cent. Over 40 per cent of consumers say they are doing more home baking now.

Meanwhile alcohol sales rose 27 per cent, as the nation replaced pub trips with virtual socialising.

"Home baking is still growing very well and it's up 60 per cent," said Mr McKevitt.

Products to do with baking such as syrup, treacle have also seen strong growth, while more people are buying hair colourants now they can no longer go to the hairdressers.

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On average, households shopped only 14 times for groceries over the past month, a record low and down from 17 in more normal times.

A drop in frequency was matched by a corresponding uplift in the amount spent on each trip to £26.02 – easily the highest figure ever recorded by Kantar and £7 greater than last year.

Shopper satisfaction with supermarket trips is beginning to grow and is now back at February levels, having fallen by 38 per cent as the nation entered lockdown because of frustrations caused by busy stores and empty shelves.

Public appreciation of staff working on shop floors and tills reached record levels this month, and is 13 per cent higher than before the crisis started.

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