Weekly retail sales in food stores in Great Britain (UK) 2014-2024

In December 2020, an average of 4.22 billion British pounds (GBP) worth of goods were purchased in food stores across Great Britain per week. This represented a record amount spent on food purchases, but was also expected as Christmas season typically means increased food sales across retail stores. As of October 2024, average weekly sales stood at around 3.3 billion British pounds. For data concerning the percentage change in the value of sales in food stores, please see the following.

A shopping rhythm

The overall structure of yearly spending remained the same during the period in consideration. January, coinciding with the Veganuary campaign which encourages people to eat vegan as an alternative dietary choice in January, sees a sharp drop after a peak spending during the month of December. After January a few months see an increase leading to an early summer high. After a drop in early autumn November sees the prelude to increased Christmas spending.

Grocery market in the United Kingdom

The overall value of the UK grocery retail market was estimated to amount to 216.8 billion British pounds in 2022. Of this, about 166.3 billion sales were made in predominantly food stores in 2022. Supermarkets had the highest share of grocery sales in the UK.