The United Kingdom realized record grocery sales in March due to purchases made during the COVID-19 pandemic – buying that included ample amounts of chilled seafood.
Around GBP 10.8 billion (USD 13.5 billion, EUR 12.4 billion) worth of groceries were sold in the U.K. for the four weeks ending on 22 March, eclipsing even the peak Christmas selling period, consumer research firm Kantar found.
The meat, fish, and poultry (MFP) categories, in particular, realized a huge uplift in the last four weeks, Kantar noted in a press release. Chilled fish volume increased 12 percent over the four weeks.
“We’ve seen a huge uplift in volume sales as people look to feed their families in these uncertain times,” Kantar Business Unit Director for MFP Nathan Ward said. "The last four weeks are key to the performance of the market. Chilled fish, for example, saw a 6 percent rise over the past 12 weeks, but a 20 percent increase in the last four weeks.”
Similarly, while meat and poultry realized a 9 percent increase in sales over the past 12 weeks, they had a 27 percent sales spike in March.
“This isn’t a result of excessively big shops and stockpiling large quantities, but by more shoppers making more frequent trips to buy these categories,” Ward said. “Fresh primary meat and poultry saw almost a million more shoppers over the four-week period compared with last year and a 17 percent increase in trips – equating to 11.9 additional store visits.”
Chilled fish has realized a slower growth than meat and poultry, with much more modest increases in trips (up 2.7 million) and shoppers (up 380,000), Ward said. However, the average shopper bought 9 percent more by volume during the four weeks ending on 22 March.
“Fish has seen strong growth, with favorites salmon, prawns and haddock all growing ahead of the market. The smaller challengers in the market have seen strong short-term growth accelerate, with tuna and sea bass seeing volume growth of more than 40 percent in the last four weeks,” Ward said.
Battered and breaded fish sales had the biggest gains for the four weeks ending on 22 March, rising 15.7 percent and 14.5 percent, respectively. Value-added products rose 4.8 percent, while shellfish sales climbed 5.3 percent, and smoked seafood sales rose 4.7 percent.
“Natural fish remains a vital category, but added value, breaded and battered lines are the fastest growing sectors over the last four weeks, as shoppers buy into the sectors which provide quick, easier meals,” Ward said. “Natural fish has not performed as strongly over the last four weeks, and is in decline over the past 12 weeks, with a strong performance from salmon offset by declines in sales of cod and basa.”
Meanwhile, the online grocery market in the U.K. is projected to grow 33 percent in 2020 to reach an estimated value of BP 16.8 billion (USD 21 billion, EUR 19.1 billion), research firm Mintel found.
“This phenomenal rise follows four consecutive years of slowing growth: in 2019 growth fell to a historic low of just 2.9 percent,” Mintel said in a press release.
Online grocery sales are expected to continue their fast-paced growth throughout the year, Mintel added.
Photo courtesy of Amani A/Shutterstock
