Take-home grocery sales increased by 0.9% in the four weeks to 19 April 2026 compared with the same period a year ago, according to the latest data from Worldpanel by Numerator.
Like-for-like grocery inflation fell to 3.8%, indicating that the impact of the conflict in the Middle East has not yet filtered through to supermarket shelves in Britain. Shoppers are increasingly seeking out deals due to concerns about rising prices, with spending on promoted items over the four weeks rising 7.8% year on year, while spending on full-price goods fell by 0.2%.
Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Worldpanel by Numerator, said: “Concerns about the impact of the Middle East conflict on prices of everyday goods are front of mind for British households. Already feeling the squeeze at the petrol pump, shoppers are responding by turning to special offers in growing numbers when buying groceries.”
The proportion of spending on promotions currently stands at 31.3%, having risen year on year every month since July 2023. Price cuts are driving this trend, with four in every five pounds spent on promotional items used on price reductions, rather than multi-buys, which tend to push up basket sizes.
Easter spending holds firm despite price rise concerns
Lamb remained a popular seasonal centrepiece this Easter, with almost 9% of households buying a fresh lamb joint in Easter week. Sales in the four weeks to Easter Sunday, which fell on 5 April this year, were up by 14.9% compared with the same run up to the holiday weekend in 2025.
Meanwhile, sales of hot cross buns over the same time period rose by 14%. Traditionally flavoured hot cross buns account for just over half of sales, but the more exotic twists on the seasonal staple, such as lemon curd, apple and cinnamon, and chocolate and salted caramel, appear poised to account for the largest part of the market in 2027.
Spring cleaning also seemed to be on the agenda for shoppers in April, with sales of cleaning products in the month up by 8% versus last year, led by cleaning accessories, floor cleaning products and general purpose cleaners.
McKevitt continued: “Easter is always an important indicator of consumer mood, and shoppers did not hold back on the traditional staples this year,. However, with the conflict in the Middle East continuing to fuel concerns about price increases, the promotional data suggests that shoppers are already looking for ways to keep grocery bills down.”
Ocado and Lidl set the pace as fastest growing retailers
Over the 12 weeks to 19 April 2026, Lidl reached a new record high market share of 8.4%, up from 8.0% a year ago. Sales grew by 8.8%, driven by the acquisition of more than half a million additional shoppers, more than any other retailer.
Sales momentum continued for Tesco and Sainsbury’s, both of which announced full-year financial results last week. Spending at the tills at Britain’s two largest grocers rose by 4.3% and 4.5%, respectively. Market share for Tesco rose by 0.4 percentage points to 28.1%, while Sainsbury’s now holds 15.5% share, up from 15.3% last year. Sales at Morrisons were up 1.1%, resulting in a share of 8.4%, while Asda’s share stands at 11.6%.
Sales at Aldi rose 1.2% year on year, while spending at Iceland increased by 2.1%, leaving both retailers with a market share of 10.6% and 2.3%, respectively. Convenience retailer Co-op holds 5.1% share of the take-home market.
Despite widespread concern about inflation and household grocery bills, more premium-focused retailers outpaced the overall market. Sales at online-only specialist Ocado increased by 11.3%, taking share to 2.2%, up 0.2 percentage points on last year. Market share for Waitrose held at 4.6% as sale rose 3.8%, with spend per trip growing faster than at any other grocer. Sales at M&S were 7.3% higher than in 2025.
*Please note: with a higher proportion of clothing and general merchandise in its sales mix, M&S does not fall under the definition of ‘grocers’ using the Till Roll methodology on which the Worldpanel Grocery Market Share release is based. For this reason, a comparable market share number is not provided for M&S. The M&S growth number quoted in this update is for FMCG sales only, while the figures for grocers in the Grocery Market Share table cover total spending through supermarkets’ tills.
