Chilled seafood sales declined slightly in the U.K. January as shoppers face increasing grocery inflation, according to new data.
Grocery inflation hit 3.8 percent in January 2022, a 0.3 percentage point rise from December 2021, data-analytics firm Kantar said in a press release. As a result, overall supermarket sales fell by 3.8 percent in the quarter ending 23 January.
“Prices are rising on many fronts, and the weekly shop is no exception. Taken over the course of a 12-month period, this 3.8 percent rise in prices could add an extra GBP 180 [USD 244, EUR 216] to the average household’s annual grocery bill,” Kantar Head of Retail and Consumer Insight Fraser McKevitt said.
At the same time, the year-on-year figures reflect “tough comparisons” against the high demand during the lockdowns at the start of 2021, as spending remains 8 percent higher than before the pandemic, according to Kantar.
Inflation led to overall chilled fish sales falling 1.2 percent to GBP 523.6 million (USD 703 million, EUR 629 million) for the quarter compared to the same quarter of 2021. However, the total stil represented a 14.7 percent hike compared to the same quarter two years ago.
Sales of battered fish plummeted 13.4 percent for the quarter, while breaded seafood dropped 7 percent. Sales of natural items fell 7.5 percent, and shellfish sales dropped 5.8 percent.
“Chilled fish continues to be the big winner among the major proteins, despite declining at 1.2 percent overall. A strong performance by added value chilled fish, which rose 13 percent, helped support the overall market,” Kantar said in its quarterly report.
Sales of prawn cocktail – the “biggest area of added value fish and a Christmas favorite,” according to Kantar – jumped 38 percent, despite an 8 percent price hike.
Sales of meat-free or plant-based products rose a significant 10 percent compared to 2021, and 42.7 percent versus the same quarter in 2020, thanks in part to Veganuary promotions.
Photo courtesy of Tupungato/Shutterstock
