Bargain-savvy shoppers in the north spent an additional £139 million on supermarkets’ own-label ranges in the year to June 9, up 8.1% year-on-year, new data from retail analysts Kantar show.
But although consumers have continued to tighten the purse strings, despite grocery inflation falling for the ninth consecutive month, they are largely remaining brand-loyal.
Brands grew just ahead of the market at 7.8% year-on-year and currently commands a 54.4% value market share.
And Kantar’s latest Brand Footprint report shows that the average Northern Irish household buying a portfolio of 80 fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) brands in a year – well above the global average of 66.
“This shows clearly how brands are still an important choice for Irish consumers,” says Kantar’s business development director Emer Healy.
“Although inflation levels are falling, consumers in Northern Ireland are still facing significant pressures on their household budgets, with the average annual grocery bill set to rise by £476 from £5,600 to £6,076 if they don’t make changes to what they are buying by opting for own-label versus brands.”
Kantar’s latest monthly market barometer shows that in the year to June 9, some £4.24 billion ran through tills in the north, up 7.5% year-on-year, which equates to an additional £297.7 million on the same period in 2023.
Take-home grocery sales grew, with shoppers visiting store more often, on average making nearly three more trips, though the number of packs per trip purchased fell by 0.2%.
Tesco maintains its position at the top as Northern Ireland’s largest grocer with a 35.3% share of the market, followed by Sainsbury’s (16.9%) and Asda (16.2%).
Lidl now holds 9.2% market share, with the remaining 22%-plus being split across other multiples, symbol store and other outlets which sell some grocery and food items.
