3rd Mar 2026 08:03
(Alliance News) - UK take-home grocery sales rose in February as shoppers continued to spend more at the tills and increasingly turned to online ordering, industry survey data showed on Tuesday.
Worldpanel by Numerator said take-home sales at the grocers increased 3.4% in the four weeks to February 22 compared with the same period a year earlier. Like-for-like grocery price inflation edged up to 4.3%, having fallen in each of the previous four months.
Online grocery was a standout performer, with internet sales up 9.7% year on year. More than 18 million online orders were placed over the four weeks, lifting the channel's market share to 13%, its highest level since July 2021.
Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Worldpanel by Numerator, said: "More affluent families in London and the Southeast of England are still the most likely to shop for groceries online.
"However, the channel's appeal is broadening, with shoppers from a wider range of economic backgrounds increasingly drawn to its convenience."
Valentine's Day also provided a boost to spending, particularly on premium dine-in meal deals. Shoppers spent GBP39 million on high-end meal deals priced at GBP10 or more in the week of Valentine's Day, seven times higher than the previous week.
Spending began to accelerate from Wednesday February 11, alongside a rise in sparkling wine purchases, although nearly 12% of households bought a premium meal deal on the Friday evening itself.
Sales of steak peaked on Friday, February 13 and Saturday, February 14, while Valentine's chocolate purchases were heavily concentrated on the Friday.
Seasonal demand extended to Shrove Tuesday, with sales of pancake ingredients surging in the seven days leading up to the day.
Flour sales rose 34%, sugar was up 17% and lemons climbed 70% year on year. Pre-made pancake mixes more than doubled in sales. The average cost of key pancake ingredients reached GBP7.77, up 42 pence from last year.
Looking ahead to Easter, McKevitt said chocolate prices remain elevated, up 9.3% on the year, though inflation in the category has slowed to its lowest rate since September 2025.
Over the 12 weeks to February 22, Ocado Retail, a joint venture of Ocado Group PLC and Marks & Spencer Group PLC, remained the fastest-growing grocer, with sales up 15% and market share rising to 2.1% from 1.9% a year earlier.
Lidl recorded double-digit growth for the twelfth consecutive period, with sales up 10%, taking its market share to 7.8%, up 0.5 percentage point year-on-year.
J Sainsbury PLC increased its share to 16.1% from 15.8%, as sales rose 5.2%, and the retailer attracted an additional 400,000 shoppers.
Tesco PLC, the UK's largest grocer, saw sales grow 4.5%, lifting its share to 29%, up 0.2 percentage point.
Waitrose posted sales growth of 5.6% - its highest rate since March 2021 - increasing market share to 4.8%, its highest level in three years.
Aldi's sales rose 3.1%, giving it a 10% share of the market. Iceland held a 2.3% share, with sales up 2.7%, while Morrisons' sales rose 2.3% to maintain an 8.4% share.
Asda and Co-op accounted for 11.5% and 5.0% of the take-home grocery market, respectively.
Marks & Spencer itself, while not classified as a grocer under the Worldpanel methodology, recorded 7.0% growth in grocery sales over the 12-week period, reflecting its strong presence in chilled ready meals - a key category during Valentine's week.
By Eva Castanedo, Alliance News reporter
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