Brits shop more locally when bad weather strikes, stocking up on things like soup, bacon and dairy, according to new figures.
When the Beast from the East and Storm Emma hit the UK last week, it seems that UK shoppers turn to local shops to buy comfort food.
According to the latest figures from IRI, a provider of big data and predictive analytics for retailers, in the w/e 3 March 2018, consumers spent £15.4 million on soup in supermarkets – the equivalent of 30 million bowls.
Store-level data from the UK’s major retailers shows that dried and tinned soup was up 40% on the same week a year ago (worth an extra £2.8 million) while fresh soup was up 34.8%, an extra £1.4 million.
Bacon also received a boost during the same week, up 15.3%, while milk, one of the everyday essentials, was up 10%, putting an extra £3.8 million in retailers’ tills.
The data analysis showed that when bad weather conditions strike, many people defer their big shop at the major stores for the week and shopped more locally, providing a huge boost to local shops.
IRI’s Head of Strategic Insight - Retail, Martin Wood, said: “Shoppers now visit their local store much more often and are spending more, so these retailers should be looking to capitalise on the demand for convenience, accessibility and product range.”
