May heatwave drives UK grocery sales growth

23rd Jun 2026 07:05

(Sharecast News) - UK grocery inflation eased to 3.0% in June, helping to offset concerns that higher energy and commodity costs linked to the conflict in the Middle East could feed through more sharply to supermarket prices, according to data from Worldpanel by Numerator on Tuesday.

The research group said like-for-like grocery inflation stood at 3.0% in the four weeks to 14 June, while take-home sales at the grocers rose 2.4% year on year.

The figures suggested price pressures remain present but have not accelerated materially despite recent volatility in global markets.

Worldpanel said the period was also shaped by the UK's hottest May day on record and a ten-day heatwave, which drove a sharp increase in spending on summer products.

Suncare sales more than doubled, rising 128%, while fresh beef burger sales grew 40%.

Fresh prepared salads and chilled dips each rose 13% as households shifted towards barbecues and al fresco dining.

"There's something very British about the way a heatwave changes the weekly shop, and shoppers didn't need much encouragement to fire up the grill and turn to al fresco dining this time around," said Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Worldpanel by Numerator.

"Barbecue staples performing well and shoppers turning to healthier options are a common summer trend, and we can expect to see this continue over the rest of June and into July, with the warm weather forecast to continue."

No- and low-alcohol drinks were another strong area, with sales up 23%, ahead of the wider beer and cider category, which grew 6%.

Syrups for water rose 31%, which Worldpanel said suggested online viral trends such as 'WaterTok', where sugar-free syrups are mixed into water, were beginning to influence shopper behaviour.

Promotional activity continued to increase as retailers competed for value-conscious shoppers.

Worldpanel said the share of grocery spending on promotion rose year on year for the 39th consecutive month, reaching 30.4% of all sales.

The start of the FIFA Men's World Cup also boosted deals on football-related categories, with beer and cider, snacks and crisps, and chilled pizza seeing their highest June promotional activity for five years.

"Nearly a third of all grocery spending is now on promotion, and that upward streak shows no sign of breaking," McKevitt said.

"Combined with strong online growth, it points to shoppers who know what they want and are increasingly confident about where and how to find the best deal.

"In short, retailers are having to compete hard for that summer shop."

Online grocery sales continued to outpace the wider market, rising 9.1% across all grocers over the period.

Nearly a quarter of British households made at least one online grocery purchase.

Ocado was again the fastest-growing grocer over the 12 weeks to 14 June, with sales up 13.5% and its market share rising 0.2 percentage points to 2.2%.

Lidl gained the most share of any retailer, rising 0.5 percentage points to 8.7%, after attracting more than half a million additional shoppers compared with the same period last year.

Co-op returned to market share growth, increasing its share to 5.3% from 5.2%, with sales up 2.7%.

Worldpanel noted that a cyberattack last year had affected its 2025 figures.

Sainsbury's grew ahead of the market, with sales up 2.0% and share rising 0.1 percentage point to 15.3%.

Tesco remained the UK's largest grocer, with a 28.0% share and sales growth of 1.2%.

Morrisons held share flat at 8.4%, with sales up 1.4%, while Asda held 11.5% of the market and Aldi 10.7%.

Waitrose sales rose 1.7% and Iceland sales increased 2.2%, with both retailers holding market share at 4.5% and 2.2%, respectively.

Grocery sales at M&S rose 11.7% over the 12-week period, although Worldpanel does not include M&S in its grocer market share table because of its broader clothing and general merchandise mix.

Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.