Ocado and Lidl remain the fastest-growing retailers in the UK, according to data released by NIQ. In the four weeks ending July 12, Ocado saw a 13,1% jump in sales, followed by Lidl with a 10,3% increase. The overall sector growth was driven by the combined effect of the summer heat and increased shopping frequency: in July, total cash register sales grew by 5,8%, a significant improvement from the previous month's 3,8%.
Major British retailers like Sainsbury's, Tesco, and Waitrose posted solid growth of 5%, 4,9%, and 4,8%, respectively. In contrast, Asda saw a decline of 2,3%, while Morrisons posted a modest increase of 0,7%. According to Mike Watkins of NielsenIQ, despite its negative performance, Asda is showing signs of recovery: "The percentage of customers visiting is stable above 50%, and visits have increased by more than 5% in the last month."
Pressure on household budgets continues to push consumers toward discount stores, with FMCG sales up 8,7% and nearly two-thirds of households shopping at Aldi or Lidl. The average number of items per visit fell 4%, but this was offset by a 5,6% increase in purchase occasions. High temperatures also favored seasonal products: sales of soft drinks and frozen foods increased 21% and 12%, respectively, while fresh cream soared 13,8% and cider 11,2%.
