Supermarket grocery sales were up 1.5% in the four weeks ending June 18, according to the latest figures from NielsenIQ, thanks to a boost from the Platinum Jubilee weekend. The Jubilee, which took place during the week ending June 4, boosted sales by 3.7%, NielsenIQ said, with Champagne up 47% and sparkling wine up 40%. Recent warmer weather also caused a slight uptick in sales.

New research has suggested that nearly half of shoppers with children at home claim they are already aiming to save money day-to-day so they can spend as much as they normally would this Christmas. According to the latest shopper insights from IGD, the cost-of-living crisis means spending on seasonal events is likely to be impacted this year. The research suggests that many family households are…

Last summer we were still somewhat held back by Covid rules. Restrictions did not fully lift in England until July 19 and, while the on-trade was open, the number of people able to meet in a group was limited and many consumers were still cautious of large crowds. With a return to normality on the cards for the UK, what can we expect from shoppers…

BrewDog will offer shoppers the chance to claim back the full price of a pack of beer, if they are not satisfied with the taste. The BrewDog Guarantee has launched in Asda, ahead of a wider roll out across grocery and convenience. The scheme is available on BrewDog’s headline range and being promoted on 4-packs of Punk IPA, Lost Lager, Hazy Jane, Elvis Juice and…

Budweiser Brewing Group (BBG) has predicted that 70% of beer consumption will be premium or super premium by 2025. The company said today that Covid-19 has cemented trend towards premiumisation, “as shoppers sought out known and trusted brands”. According to BBG, the premium and super-premium category is currently worth £3.4bn, up 5% year-on-year.  Citing Nielsen data, the brewer said super-premium is now the…

Nielsen client team leader Rob Hallworth makes some predictions for how shoppers are likely to behave this festive season. Hands up if you’re looking forward to a more “normal” Christmas this year? But what will normal look like? In 2020 Christmas was all but cancelled, with UK lockdowns introduced at short notice and the hospitality industry at limited opening hours or closed for the majority…

New research has suggested that a third (34%) of consumers have or are considering stockpiling for Christmas before the end of October. Numbers released by Lumina Intelligence this week suggest that 56% of consumers are “somewhat worried” following media coverage on people stockpiling food and drinks for Christmas already, due to concerns about product shortages as a result of Brexit, Covid and the lack of…