March 2020 was the biggest month of grocery sales growth ever recorded in the Republic of Ireland, according to Kantar, with sales in the four weeks to 22 March rising by 27%.
Irish households spent an additional €122 on groceries over the course of the month, as consumers stocked up amidst the growing coronavirus epidemic.
In the 12-week period to 22 March, sales were up 10.1% to €2.8 billion, which was €250 million higher than in the same period last year.
Health & Hygiene
“The products demonstrating the strongest growth show a country putting health, hygiene and practicality first," commented David Berry, managing director at Kantar.
"Sales of hand soap rose by 300% and household cleaners were up by 170% in the four weeks to 22 March. Facial tissues and loo roll were also in demand, with sales up by 140% and 86% respectively."
In terms of food sales, Berry said added that items with a longer shelf life saw the biggest uplift, with frozen and ambient products increasing by 32%. Fresh food sales, meanwhile, were up 16%.
Sales Performance
All the major grocers in Ireland posted double-digit growth in the 12-week period to 22 March, Kantar said.
Market leader Dunnes Stores (22.3% market share) saw sales rise by 10.3%, while SuperValu (21.3%) and Tesco (21.3%) saw sales rise 10.4% and 10.5% respectively.
Lidl (12.3% market share) was the strongest performer in terms of value sales growth, with sales up 14.7%, while rival Aldi (12.3%) also put in a solid performance, with sales rising 11.9%.
“All the major retailers have adapted to rapidly changing circumstances, with teams working hard to keep shelves stocked during an incredibly busy time," said Berry.
© 2020 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
