Grocery price inflation in the UK slowed to its lowest rate in nearly two years as shoppers took advantage of hot weather to stock up on picnic staples such as potato salad, olives and coleslaw, according to new data from market research company Worldpanel by Numerator.
The annual growth in supermarket prices was 2.1% in the four weeks to 9 August, down from 2.6% in the previous month and the slowest increase since October 2024. Nearly one-third of all supermarket sales were part of a promotion, with 31.3% coming from deals, the highest level this year, as consumers sought to manage costs.
Picnic foods and ice-cream drive sales
Spending rose on foods such as potato salad, olives and coleslaw, while ice-cream sales also increased. Sales of dips were up by nearly a quarter compared with the same period last year, and coleslaw and potato salad increased by similar amounts. Quiches, olives and chilled “finger foods” also recorded sales increases.
The sustained heat led to an extra 6.2 million trips to the cold section compared with the same period last year. Ice-cream and sorbet products posted a 26% increase in sales, while frozen fruit sales soared by 48%.
Deals and spending patterns
Shoppers spent £410 on groceries on average over the four weeks, £14.24 less than the previous period, as spending fell back after a bumper period during the men’s football World Cup in June and July. Sally Ball, business unit director at Worldpanel by Numerator, said: “The continued heat across the UK has certainly impacted the way people are eating and drinking. Earlier this summer we saw that meal times were being pushed later in the day, with 13% of evening meals now eaten after 8pm.”
Ball added: “Shoppers have been trying to stay cool this month, with soft drinks growing 15.1% in spend, while the freezer aisle saw shoppers stocking up on ice-cream, sorbet and frozen fruit to beat the heat.”
Convenience stores and online growth
Separate research by NielsenIQ showed that people also spent more in convenience stores, which recorded their strongest sales growth in more than a year at 3.6% compared with the equivalent period in 2025. Online food shopping continued to outperform in-store rivals, with e-commerce sales reaching £2.1bn, up 10% in value and 5% in individual item sales.
Part of that growth was down to food delivery platforms gaining market share, reflecting what researchers called “the growing demand for rapid access to refreshments”. Mike Watkins, head of retailer and business insight at NielsenIQ, said: “Growth has inevitably slowed after the peaks created by the Fifa World Cup, while the start of the summer holidays has given many shoppers a reason to delay some non-essential spending.”
Watkins added: “As the weather becomes more seasonal towards the end of summer and children return to school, shopping baskets will start to reset, so there is the possibility of a short-term return of money-off vouchers to help shoppers save money as well as to encourage more visits.”
