The UK's supermarket sales of electricals, music and gaming are suffering from the growth of online retailers and digital formats, according to latest data from retail-insights firm IRI.
The IRI data reveals how UK sales of electricals, music and gaming – products that supermarkets traditionally sold in huge volumes before Christmas – were down 22 per cent in the two weeks to 26 December 2015.
However, there was good news for other UK-supermarket non-food categories, with revenue from party accessories increasing by 18 per cent, and flowers and plants by 8 per cent, while sales of toys rose 20 per cent and books and other gifts were up 13.2 per cent, as shoppers bought presents when carrying out their food shopping.
Figures from IRI’s Retail Advantage, which measures sales from major UK grocery multiples, revealed that non-food sales were down 0.1 per cent overall in December, in line with the long-term trend.
Commenting on the figures, Martin Wood, IRI’s head of strategic insight for retail solutions and innovation, said, "Competition with discounters has driven down prices, keeping value and revenues down even when volumes are up."
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