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SUPERMARKETS ARE SEEING much stronger growth in own-label products compared to branded goods as shoppers grapple with grocery price inflation.
Latest figures from Kantar reveal that grocery price inflation hit 16.5% in the 12 week period from 19 February to 14 May, when compared to the same period last year.
It’s a marginal decrease of 0.1% on the grocery price inflation in the 12 weeks to 16 April, which was running at 16.6% when compared to the same timeframe in the year previous.
Kantar’s figures are based on over 30,000 identical products which are compared year-on-year.
Emer Healy, a senior retail analyst at Kantar, said that while this slight drop in grocery price inflation is “without doubt welcome news for shoppers”, she added that “16.5% is the third fastest rate of grocery inflation we’ve seen since 2008”.
She also said that in response to this high level of grocery inflation, “we are seeing customers change their shopping patterns to off-set part of the increased cost”.
In the 12 weeks to 14 May, there was a 16.3% growth in own-label products, compared to 8.2% for branded products.
Own-label products also saw a 32.3% year-on-year growth and this month marked the first time that branded and own-label products were on equal terms when it comes to market share, at 47.3%.
‘Little and often’
Shoppers are also buying their groceries “little and often to help manage household budgets”.
The Kantar data in the 12 weeks to 14 May shows shopping visits are up 12%, which equates to an additional seven trips over this period.
Meanwhile, Dunnes holds the highest share of the market among all retailers at 23.1%, followed closely by Tesco which holds a 22.4% market share.
SuperValu comes next with a 20.6% hold of the market, Lidl hit a new record to hold 13.6% of the market, and Aldi holds a 12.1% share.
Kantar also found that Irish shoppers celebrated the May bank holidays by hitting the barbeques.
Shoppers spent an additional €6.6 million on beer and lager, €722,000 on chilled burgers and grills, and €516,000 on fresh sausages over the month of May.
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Own brand chocolate digestives were 40c. Now 79c. 100% increase.
They still are and will continue to, rip us off.
Where’s a good, decent politician when you need one?
@Denis Rathsallagh Brady: Used to get 600 Bourbons for €0.39 now it’s a 300 pack and €0.89.
@Rafa C: my favourite biscuit . I was surprised to see the large pack in Lidl cut in half . Doing a shop in there is like Tesco prices a few years ago.
Watch now as the own label products come into a similar playing field to the branded so we cannot escape the rip off antics of these companies.
@087mail: @087mail: Quorn 500g of Chicken or Beef, is cruising at around 3.50/4€ per pack so nearly 1kg 7/8€, similar to its meat counterpart depending on type of beef/chicken.
Not sure of your point TBH, is your point that the gov should be doing more in shops to discount the healthier options/veg based alternatives/animal free range products or something?
If it is then yes I agree, they should be forced to use the surplus MUP/sugar tax generates to discount down the prices of low fat products/high protein/meat free alternatives/welfare driven ideas, but that’s common sense and our gov, well they do not do common sense.
Sugar tax, MUP, take more money from the consumer? Yes please. Give something back in terms of making healthier choices cheaper… Get out of here with that logic.
@Dave C:
This will never happen as long as the farming lobby with all the EU subsidised money has such a big voice.
People always claim they want to protect the small farmers, but in reality, there’re not that many left and big farmers, farmer “companies” are creaming it with little value to the average person.
Fish is almost entirely farmed and it’s not pretty. Chicken have to be killed on time, because they’re so over-bred, they would not be able to stay or walk after 3 months.
Do I like meat – yes. But only have 1-2 a months, because that’s enough
and I’m trying at least not to support this kind of “farming”.
In Portugal they dropped the vat to zero on a good few essentials but in ireland leo and Martin say its up to Europe well that’s a big lie
@john mac: All I could find is that they they scrapped taxes on essential foods, like: vegetables, fruits, oils, fish and meat.
All that’s zero VAT here anyway. Petrol and diesel is almost the same they were on the pre-covid (high -) level.
Were else do you want them to scrap or reduce the tax?
I would increase, bring tax back for the hospitality sector,
since we never saw and never will see any benefit from this one.
@Wolfgang Bonow: along with the no VAT on newspapers? anyone see newspapers getting cheaper?? .
I would like to see how much own label products have increased in price. They may still be cheaper than the name brands but i reckon the difference in price between the two is much smaller than before
In Portugal at the minute went shopping in the alfagar mall clothes here half the price of at home for brand names Nike. FILA addidas ect food half the price ,went for Chinese yesterday main course 8 euro .pint of beer 3.50 Its no wonder people don’t holiday at home and tourism is doomed in Ireland because of greed, 6 nights star 4 hotel 2 bedroom apartment with sea view breakfast Inc 1400 euro .
@M G: The average salary in Portugal is also less than half compared to Ireland.
You may as well take Hungary or Serbia for comparison?
Tripling the tax on alcohol sounds a very good idea anonymous. A pint in Norway can cost upwards of ten euro with taxes. On the flipside, their healthcare is exceptional, universal and low cost. I’d favour a huge increase on excise on alcohol rather than fuel. I have to drive to work (no public transport alternative and can’t afford an electric car). I’d rather see increases taxation on luxury, non essentials like alcohol rather than essentials like fuel.
@James Groden: plz back under your rural rock with you, triple the alcohol tax? Why? In Other countries you can buy a beer for one Euro and everything work’s fine. The REAL problem here is IRISH ‘GREED’ and forget the rest attitude.
@James Groden: Agree on tax on alcohol. Excellent idea. For the planet though living in the countryside is a luxury, one which is difficult afford gven the perilous nature of the ongoing environmental catastrophe. I was speaking to a Green party member the other day who reliably informed me of a plan to introduce a “rural solidarity tax” on those living in the countryside. It can start off low enough maybe 0.5% on income and property before rising gradually over 10 years to 15% give or take. Big changes coming! We all need to keep up the great suggestions. Good on you!
How are the prices of groceries in the North of Ireland compared too the South?? And tell me why are the Irish government not dropping the price of electricity in Ireland just another way of collecting tax for them the USC should be abolished
When I was in Dublin recently I paid 10.40 for a tub of buffalo mozzarella….in dunnes stores..ok it was italian brand….but I just paid 1.80 for that same item here on Gozo….the mind boggles….
How the likes of ALDI and LIDL still call themself’s ‘Discount’ stores is beyond silly now. Aldi especially are pure ahead of the queue Rip off merchants, they are more expensive in Chicken than most of the rest, why? Their bread is also too high priced. And forget that rip off nonsense voucher business from Dunnes, buy more than needed to save pittance.
VAT needs reduction on 95% food here, Zero vat on alcohol on one weekend a month to starve off the rip off feeling the rest of the month in this kip! Instead, go after the rip off Energy suppliers and Quangoes and multi nationals that rob this country blind daily. Still only land in EU that hasn’t done anything about the high electric cost.. Land of waifs and scammers.
@GET FF AND FG OUT – THEY ARE THE SAME PARTY:
You got at least € 600 in credit from the government and pretty much all essential food was and still is VAT free.
Bonus and extra payments for the “vulnerable”.
Should they tackle energy companies – sure they should.
Everyone, driving or not, saved a fortune during the covid lockdowns on less driving or the low petrol prices – where is this (saved) money?
For sure there’s a lot of the usual rip-off, but don’t say the government didn’t do anything.
@GET FF AND FG OUT – THEY ARE THE SAME PARTY: On the contrary VAT must be ramped up on all environmentally unsound foodstuffs such as dairy, meat, bread, confectionary, coffee, tea, cereals and baby food, to name but a few. I have it on good authority that Eamonn Ryan is pushing hard for this. We can but hope that common sense will prevail. The future of the planet depends upon it.
@Stoneylonesome: ahh feck off tf!
And D i D i héar petrol is going up from tonight?
Tesco charging 1.40 for a packet of 37g Crisps …price gouging parasites.
@Larry Rawson: Same bag of crisps in England is 55p..so should be about 75c here…practically DOUBLE the price.. there is your proof Boycott the Bxxxxx.
#ShameonTesco
#EverylittlehelpsTHEM
€6.6 million on beer and lager … over the month of May…
Gov should triple the tax on alcohol to help finance the hospitals…
@Anonymous User: there is plenty of money for the hospitals, it’s gross mismanagement of said money is the problem.
Eat ze bugs plebs.
Good. Food consumption is a huge contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.
The more expensive food, fuel, energy, housing and raising children is the better for mother Earth.
@Stoneylonesome: zZzZzz.
@Stoneylonesome: hmm well the stones are destined for loneliness for eternity ….it ain’t a binary choice between having affordable food for our people and saving the planet , that’s idiotic ,
@Stoneylonesome: hmm well the stones are destined for loneliness for eternity seemingly ….it ain’t a binary choice between having affordable food for our people and sacrificying everything in the name of saving planet earth , if you are so obsessed in saving the planet can i suggest you ditch whatever electronic device you use , stop using social media , and at the very least stop posting idiotic comments wasting precious resources / its not helping
@Stoneylonesome: Id say condoms be good as well too….but with you its clearly late on that to save the planet two ways
@Dave Hammond: To paraphrase the inspirational Greta , People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is binary this and affordable that. We must all use whatever means we have to promote the reduction of the human population to a more manageable size and dramatically reduce the quality of life for those who remain.
@Tom Newell: Condoms are good, abortions are better, euthanasia is better again but are all these enough?
@Tom Newell: stoneys father should of used a condom lol
@Ivan Dickson: “father” is a cis normative term and deeply offensive to the trans community. I cant wait for such problematic language as you routinely use to be prosecuted to the full extent of minister Mcentees’ new hate speech legislation.
Back to basics. Grown your own. Rear chickens for eggs. Support small business. Think bigger. Boycott big stores. No land no problem use an allotment.
Name and shame.
Just existing now on what they call adequate income. Adequate!
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