Grocery price inflation in the UK has surged to 4.1% over the past month—its highest level since February 2024—driven by increasing costs of chocolate, butter, and sun cream.
The jump comes as warmer spring weather encouraged more outdoor activities, including barbecues, boosting demand for seasonal goods.
According to data from retail analyst Kantar, inflation accelerated from 3.8% in April. In response, shoppers are turning to supermarket own-label products and hunting for discounts to keep spending in check.
“Households have already been adjusting their shopping habits, but inflation above 3% to 4% tends to make the impact more noticeable,” said Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar.
Discount retailers Aldi and Lidl saw strong gains as consumers sought better value. The pair recorded their highest combined growth since January 2024, rising 8.4%.
Lidl’s sales climbed nearly 11%, pushing its market share to a record 8.1%, just behind Morrisons in the race for the UK’s fifth-largest supermarket spot. The chain attracted 419,000 more customers than it did a year ago—the most of any grocer.
Aldi also posted a record-high market share of 11.1% following a 6.7% rise in sales, its best performance since early 2024.
Meanwhile, Asda continued to face challenges, becoming the only major supermarket to post a decline in sales—down 3.2%. Despite this being its strongest performance in a year, its market share slipped to 12.1%, just above Aldi’s.
Premium grocer Marks & Spencer defied its recent cyberattack woes with a 12.3% increase in grocery sales. The Co-op also managed a modest 0.6% sales rise despite similar supply issues.
Overall grocery spending slightly outpaced inflation, with customers snapping up barbecue essentials like burgers, salads, and coleslaw during the warmest start to May on record.
“We’ve been lighting up barbecues earlier this year,” McKevitt noted. “Sales of chilled burgers alone rose by 27%.”
The spring sunshine also boosted sales at B&Q. Parent company Kingfisher reported an 8% rise in sales at existing B&Q stores for the three months ending 30 April. Demand was strong for garden items, outdoor furniture, and even big-ticket purchases like kitchens—marking the company’s best performance since the 2021 DIY boom.
Despite the upbeat figures, Kingfisher cautioned that consumer sentiment remains mixed across its markets, which include the UK, France, and Poland. Photo by Tiia Monto, Wikimedia commons.