Symbol and independent stores have seen a consecutive fall in sales since mid April according to the latest Kantar data, which shows a 1.8% year-on-year drop in the month of August.

The news comes despite grocery price inflation falling back to 1.7% over the last four weeks, and take-home sales across all grocers rising by 3%.

Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, said that despite the grocery price inflation dropping to 1.7%, “shoppers’ financial confidence hasn’t risen with it”. 

This is reflective of the continual drop in sales for symbols and independents, while discounters Aldi and Lidl see month-on-month boosts in sales. The former category is in its fifth month of decline, having lost a 3.1% share in July, a 5.5% drop from mid June to mid July, 4.1% fall in mid May to mid June, and 2.8% dip from mid April to mid May.

“Memories of the past two years remain strong, with nearly 60% of shoppers still very or extremely concerned about rising grocery prices,” McKevitt added.

Grocery price inflation rises as indies continue to see sales slump

“This is their second biggest financial worry, only behind home energy bills. Retailers have been doing their bit to help shoppers keep the cost of the weekly shop down, and the proportion of sales on promotion increased year-on-year for the sixteenth month in a row in August. More than half of all grocery trips include some kind of deal, and this proportion rises as the trolley gets bigger.” 

Categories seeing a boost across all grocers include lunchbox snacks as children return to school after the summer holidays. Sales of fromage frais and cereal and fruit bars lifted by 14%, and chocolate biscuit bars by 12% over the last week of the month.

Meanwhile, oven chip sales jumped 44% by volume, while take-home beer and lager sales have risen by 12%. 

“Gravy sales have dipped slightly though, with the proportion of people buying gravy over the month dropping by 8% in comparison to the same month in 2009,” said McKevitt.

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