Warmer weather seems to have thawed the wallets of British consumers, as sales at grocery chains increased 6.6 percent in the four weeks ending July 11th, the best underlying growth in more than 24 months, according to new research from The Nielsen Company.  The strong results were driven by sales in fresh foods, soft drinks and general merchandise, the latter showing growth in the high single digits.  Unit growth also rose by 2 percent across the sector. 
“Shoppers continue to respond to offers, with another all-time high for promotional spend at …

UK grocery sales grew 5.1 percent in the 12 week period ended May 16th, largely due to the record number of products on promotion according to new research from Nielsen.  Morrisons continued the solid performance it has been exhibiting over the last few months with sales growth of 7.9 percent over the same period a year ago, while Asda and Sainsbury also posted gains of 7.4 percent and 7.3 percent, respectively.
“With a record of 32 percent of all sales being goods on offer in the four weeks to May 2009, …

Sales in the UK grocery sector showed promising growth in the eight weeks ended April 18th, racking up 4.2 percent increases, and volume growth of 5.8 percent over the same period in 2008.  The convenience sector also showed a 3.2 percent in sales growth over a year ago, a marked improvement from a few months ago when sales growth was languishing at about 1 percent.
Sales over Easter week benefited the out-of-town megastores, which rung up sales 22 percent over the same period last year.
“Over 20 percent growth is a welcome …

UK grocery sales grew at 2.7 percent in the first quarter of 2009 over the same period a year earlier, according to new research from Nielsen, with Morrisons leading the pack with 6.9 percent growth, followed closely by Asda with 6.7 percent and Sainsbury with 5 percent.  Tesco continued to lose market share, falling to 27.6 percent from 28 percent in the same period in 2008.  So what may be driving consumers to change where they shop?
“Shoppers are now well versed with money saving strategies, making the most of price …

Grocery sales in the U.K. are holding their ground despite the continued economic difficulties, according to a new survey from Nielsen. Overall, sales grew 5.7 percent in the twelve-week period ended February 21 versus the same period last year, with all of the top 4 grocers attracting new customers.
Asda and Sainsbury showed solid growth during the quarter (7.6% and 5.5%, respectively), while Morrisons grew a strong 8.2 percent, driven by increased spending from its shoppers and Waitrose re-energized its business with 3.2 percent growth.
Discount retailers continued to make gains …

Growth (by value) of food sales at British supermarkets slowed to 5.4% during the 12 weeks ending October 4, compared with the same period in 2007, Nielsen reported Tuesday.
Flagging sales in September, when growth dipped to 4.5% — a full percentage point below August growth levels, drove the declines.
“Shoppers are still trading down,” Mike Watkins, senior manager, retailer services, Nielsen noted.  “Family shoppers in particular, are trying to save money, with 70% saying on they are looking to economize on grocery shopping — up from 63% in June.”