This year’s Christmas dinner is expected to be priced similarly to last year, despite the recent increase in food prices, according to experts. Market research firm Worldpanel by Numerator revealed that the average cost of a traditional turkey and accompanying sides for four people will be around £32.46, slightly lower than last year’s £32.57. This decrease comes even as overall grocery price inflation remains at 4.7% from the previous month.
Retailers have intensified promotions in a bid to attract Christmas shoppers, acknowledging that price-conscious families will be selective when purchasing essential festive foods. Worldpanel data shows that the price of a frozen turkey has actually decreased by 3.6% to £13.52 compared to last year. Other items like parsnips have also seen a slight drop in price, down 0.4% at 71p for four.
On the contrary, prices for certain items have increased, including cauliflower up by 4.2% to £1.22, carrots up by 5.5% to 52p, Brussels sprouts up by 3.6% to 92p, potatoes up by 1.1% to £1.67, and gravy granules up by 5.1% to £2.23. Additionally, stuffing mix is up by 6.9% to 96p, cranberry sauce is around 10% pricier at 86p for four servings, Christmas pudding is up by 0.8% to £3.34, and sparkling wine costs 1.7% more than last year at £6.51 per bottle.
Discount grocer Aldi has maintained its prices, offering a festive meal for eight at less than £12, equivalent to under £1.50 per person. This offer, available from December 19 to Christmas Eve, includes festive vegetables that can be reduced to 8p as part of the Christmas Super Six promotion.
Worldpanel by Numerator, formerly Kantar, reports that over 31% of supermarket purchases last month were made on promotional deals, slightly higher than the same period last year. Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight, highlighted that retailers are striving to attract shoppers during the crucial holiday season, especially considering the financial challenges faced by many households.
Despite a significant increase in chocolate prices by 18.4% compared to last year, consumer demand remains strong, with five million households purchasing a confectionery advent calendar in November. Moreover, over one in 10 shoppers bought Champagne or sparkling wine in the past month.
Online grocer Ocado achieved a new market share record of 2.2%, with sales rising by 15.8% in the last three months. However, physical stores still dominate the grocery sector, with an expectation of heightened shopping activity on December 22 and 23, leading up to Christmas.
Lidl experienced the largest market share gain, securing an additional 0.5 percentage points from last year to reach 8.1%. Meanwhile, Aldi’s sales increased by 4.1%, maintaining a market share of 10.5%. Sainsbury’s saw a 5.1% sales increase, boosting its market share to 16%, whereas Asda struggled with a 4.3% decrease in takings, holding a market share of 11.5%.
Leading the industry, Tesco recorded a sales growth of 4.7% to nearly £10.2 billion in the three months up to the end of November, with its market share increasing to 28.3%.