Take-home grocery sales in Scotland rose by 6.3% over the four weeks to 26 January 2025 compared to the same period last year, according to Kantar.
Lesley-Ann Gray, Strategic Insight Director at Kantar, said:
“This growth outpaced grocery inflation (2.8%), reflecting a dynamic start to the year as Scottish households embraced both celebratory and health-conscious trends.
“Over the past four weeks, key Scottish events like Hogmanay and Burns Night on 25 January have influenced shoppers’ purchasing choices across various product categories. Alcohol sales surged, with total spending up 19.6% and volume increasing by 19.5%. Beer and cider led this growth with a remarkable 47% rise, followed by spirits at 30.3%. While seasonal celebrations drove this spike, the long-term trend continues to show a decline in both value and volume compared to four years ago, with total alcoholic beverages falling by 13.5% value and 25.9% volume.
“During the same four-week period, sales of carbonated soft drinks also saw notable growth, with value up 15.3% and volume rising by 9.9%.
“Burns Night once again highlighted Scotland’s most famous dish—haggis. One in four households purchased haggis in the past four weeks, with an additional 16,000 packs sold compared to the same period last year, proving haggis is still a firm favourite.
“This January, there was a growing focus on healthy eating, evident in the significant increases in volume (22.6%) of fresh, mixed and prepared vegetables, which is up 15.6% compared to last year. This suggests that Scottish shoppers are increasingly prioritising healthier options.
“Over the 12 weeks to 26 January 2025, retailers benefited from increased promotional activity, with promotions accounting for 28% of total value sales—up from last year but still below the Great Britain average of 30%.”
