New figures have revealed that Monday, 23 December, was the busiest shopping day of 2024, with consumers spending €107 million, an increase of €11.9 million compared to the busiest day in 2023. According to Kantar, take-home value sales over the four weeks leading up to 29 December grew by 4.4%, reaching nearly €1.4 billion, making it the biggest sales month of the year. This increase occurred despite grocery price inflation rising by 3.6%.
Irish shoppers made more trips to stores in December, averaging 23 visits to pick up Christmas essentials and luxuries, compared to just 17 trips on average in the UK. This uptick in foot traffic was accompanied by a willingness to spend slightly more than usual, with sales of branded products up by 5.9%.
The premium own label lines saw even more impressive growth, rising by 10.5%, outpacing the 3.2% increase in overall own label products. In total, shoppers spent nearly €140 million on premium own label ranges during the latest 12 weeks.
December also saw a spike in promotional sales, which hit a record 23.8%, growing by 5.2%. Festive treats such as beer and cider, pastries, and biscuits saw the highest levels of sales on promotion.
Emer Healy, Business Development Director at Kantar, highlighted that alcohol played a major role in this year’s Christmas shopping. Shoppers spent an additional €79 million on alcohol compared to November, with champagne, sparkling wine, beer, and cider being the most popular items. Wine also saw a significant uptick, with shoppers spending an extra €60.8 million on these products alone.
In addition to in-store purchases, online sales saw a notable increase, with shoppers spending an additional €28.3 million, marking a 14.7% year-on-year growth. The number of online shopping trips rose by 13.3%, as both new and existing customers sought to save time during the busy holiday season.
When it comes to retailer market share, Dunnes leads with a 24.8% share, experiencing a 6.9% year-on-year sales growth. Tesco follows closely behind with a 24.2% market share and a 6.4% increase in sales. SuperValu holds 20.5% of the market, with growth of 3.2%, while Lidl and Aldi claim 12.3% and 10.6% of the market, respectively, with year-on-year growth rates of 4.6% and 3.9%.
Overall, December 2024 proved to be a strong month for retailers, driven by a combination of increased in-store visits, higher spending on festive goods, and significant growth in online sales.