The convenience sector had a “tough” Christmas, with sales and footfall dropping year-on-year.
According to Talysis data, which is based on epos data, for the four weeks to 4 January versus the same period the previous year, total value sales in convenience were down by 2.5%. Footfall also suffered during this period, down 5.6% year-on-year.
Talysis also highlighted a decline in the tobacco and vape category which saw 7.5% sales drop when compared to the previous year.
It said that while the majority of this decline was on traditional cigarettes & tobacco, which saw an 8.6% drop, the “disposable vape ban hasn’t helped”. In previous years, the vape category had helped to replace some of the lost sales from cigarettes & tobacco, but in Christmas 2025, the vape category itself was also down by -7.6%.
Categories that saw value sales growth in the convenience channel over that four weeks included soft drinks (up 3.9%) and confectionery (up 5.2%).
Alcohol value sales were reported to be flat versus the previous year (down 0.8%) however RTD sales were up 30.1% in the four weeks to 4 January 2026 versus prior year, growing its share of alcohol from 6.4% to 8.2%.
Commenting on the data, Talysis managing director Ed Roberts said: “This is such a challenging time for independent and symbol retailers and the disposable vaping ban is having a significant impact, not only on that category, but on a wider basis affecting both footfall and turnover.
He offered up advice for retailers for next Christmas. “Our data presents a true picture of what Christmas means in convenience and it’s clear that the opportunity lies in differentiating the offer from the supermarkets. There’s not a huge shift in buyer behaviour in convenience at Christmas, so the trick is in getting the basics right and not forgetting your core business. Stock up and display what shoppers want from convenience stores over this period – focus strongly on impulse and make sure you don’t neglect your usual categories. Christmas tubs, for instance, appear only to serve as a distress purchase in convenience, so retailers may well be advised to focus their efforts on their core business.”
No comments yet