Take-home sales growth at the grocers increased by 1.5% in the four weeks to 17 May 2026, according to the latest data from analysts Worldpanel by Numerator.
Inflationary pressures at the tills eased for shoppers, with like-for-like grocery prices rising by 3.1% - the slowest rate of increase since December 2024, it added.
Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Worldpanel, said: “The easing in the rate of inflation is welcome news for shoppers who’ve been grappling with warnings of a hike in food prices due to the impact of the war in the Middle East.
“This follows the UK government’s announcement on a plan to further reduce import tariffs by £150m on a range of food categories. While further details are expected this week, this would equate to just £5 per household, with the average annual shopping bill for food and drink, excluding alcohol, totalling £4,087.”
Shoppers leant on promotions to keep costs down, with 30.3% of sales including a deal last month - up from 28.4% a year ago. Spending on promoted items rose 9.5% year-on-year, while full price spending was virtually flat, growing by only 0.1%.
Grey skies over the early May Day bank holiday weekend were a far cry from the current heatwave, and categories felt the impact over the month. While volumes of summer essentials like suncare and ice cream were down 28% and 3% respectively, warming staples found their way into baskets with soups up 9%, fresh pies up 4% and coffee up 5% year on year.
McKevitt added: “May was a tale of two bank holidays. The cool start kept summer categories in the shade, with unseasonable weather hanging on longer than expected. But with record temperatures over the second bank holiday, we expect to see a significant uplift in spending on summer essentials like barbecue, suncare and ice cream as the month comes to a close.”
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