Grocery prices rise by annual 2.8% in 12 weeks of Covid-19 restrictions
The CSO figures show that prices for all goods and services fell by an annual rate of 0.4% and 0.5% in June and May. Stock picture
Prices in Irish supermarkets climbed by an annual 2.8% in the most recent 12 weeks of the Covid-19 lockdown and continuing restrictions, the latest Kantar survey shows.
The survey is based on 30,000 grocery items the market researcher tracks in the Republic.
The grocery inflation rate compares with the deflation taking place across the economy in the last three months of the Covid-19 crisis, as shown by official figures.
The CSO figures show that prices for all goods and services fell by an annual rate of 0.4% and 0.5% in June and May, after edging lower by 0.1% in April.
Kantar said that €3.69bn was spent on groceries in all supermarkets in the 12 weeks up to July 12.
That is almost €578m more than was spent at the tills or online in the same period in 2019.
Shoppers are still buying alcohol in supermarkets amid the continuing restrictions on pubs.
However, Kantar said that there were other signs in the last few weeks that shoppers were reverting to pre-Covid-19 spending patterns by stocking up less and spending again on eating out, as restaurants re-opened.
Sales of suncream have slumped from last year, however, because of holiday restrictions and foreign travel health warnings.
Grocery online shopping looks to be a permanent fixture and "it looks like the boom is set to continue", said Kantar retail analyst Emer Healy.
At 22.4%, SuperValu secured the largest share of the €3.69bn spent in the 12 weeks of the survey, ahead of Tesco and Dunnes.
Lidl and Aldi secured shares of 12.7% and 12.3% of the spend, respectively.
The big five supermarkets between them had a combined share of 88.9% of the market in the 12-weeks, little changed from 89.3% a year earlier.
