Grocery take-home sales increased by 2.4% in the four weeks to 14 June 2026, according to the latest data from Worldpanel by Numerator.
Like-for-like grocery inflation stood at 3%, offsetting concerns about the impact of the conflict in the Middle East filtering through to Britain’s supermarket shelves.
The period coincided with the UK’s hottest May day on record and the country’s earlier heatwave, driving “strong demand for summer staples among shoppers.”
Suncare sales more than doubled (+128%), while fresh beef burgers were up 40%. Fresh prepared salads and chilled dips each grew by 13%, as households looking to take advantage of the warm weather wheeled out barbecues.
No- and low-alcohol drinks also performed strongly, up 23% and outpacing the wider beer and cider category, which saw growth of 6%. Syrups for water were another winner over the four weeks, up 31% year-on-year, indicating that online viral trends such as #WaterTok - the trend of mixing sugar-free syrups into water - are filtering through to shopper behaviour.
Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight, said: “There’s something very British about the way a heatwave changes the weekly shop, and shoppers didn’t need much encouragement to fire up the grill and turn to al fresco dining this time around.
“Barbecue staples performing well and shoppers turning to healthier options are a common summer trend, and we can expect to see this continue over the rest of June and into July, with the warm weather forecast to continue.”
Worldpanel data shows that spending per person on food nearly doubles when households are barbecuing. Spend per head stands at close to £5 for barbecue meals, compared to just over £2.50 for meals prepared inside.
Additionally, with the World Cup firmly under way, fan favourites are seeing their highest promotional activity in June for five years. Beer and cider, snacks and crisps and chilled pizzas have all been hotspots for deals, as retailers compete for basket space among fans stocking up ahead of matches.
The data also showed said Co-op returned to market share growth, increasing from 5.2% last year to 5.3% this year, as sales grew by 2.7%.
No comments yet