Consumers shop small and often as temperatures and prices rise
Take-home grocery sales grew by 4.1% over the four weeks to 15 June, as grocery footfall hit a five-year high.
The increase in shopping frequency came despite another rise in grocery price inflation, which hit 4.7% this month, its highest level since March 2024 and up from 4.1% in May.
Yet, higher prices didn’t stop shoppers making 490 million trips to the supermarket over the latest month, averaging almost 17 per British household – the highest Kantar has recorded since March 2020.
As temperatures soar, fresh fruit is in high demand, with 2,400 packs of strawberries bought every minute in the last four weeks. People are trading up to more exotic fruits too, with sales of mangoes and blueberries climbing by 27% and 10%, respectively.
However, a rise in frequency was balanced out by a drop in average trip spend, which fell back by three pence to £23.89. Sales of own-label ranges grew by 4.2% this month, outpacing branded lines, as shoppers sought to “balance their budgets”.
Meanwhile, overall grocery volumes fell by 0.4% over the last four weeks, marking the first year-on-year decline this year.
Source: Kantar
Mobile overtakes TV watching for the first time
British adults are spending more time on their mobile phones than in front of the TV for the first time.
Average mobile phone use among British adults (aged 15-plus) has more than doubled since 2015, from one hour and 17 minutes to three hours and 21 minutes.
By comparison, British adults watch their TV set for an average of three hours and 16 minutes per day. This has remained relatively stable over the past decade, falling marginally from three hours and 23 minutes in 2015.
The data shows a clear generational divide, with people aged 15 to 24 spending four hours and 49 minutes on their mobile phones and less than two hours (one hour and 49 minutes) in front of a TV. Whereas adults aged 65 to 74 spend four hours and 40 minutes watching TV and just one hour and 47 minutes on their mobile phones.
Overall, British adults now spend an average of seven hours and 27 minutes per day consuming screen-based media, including mobile, TV, laptops, tablets and games consoles. This is up from six hours and 36 minutes in 2015.
Source: IPA TouchPoints
Almost 60% of UK consumers ‘channel-hopping’ for better deals
Over half of UK consumers (59%) admit to ignoring brand messages in one channel, hoping for a better offer or discount in another, as brands face a “fragmentation crisis”.
In the UK, nearly half (47%) of consumers expect a connected brand experience across channels such as email, SMS, social media, push and WhatsApp, according to a new report from Klaviyo. Globally, 77% of consumers shop across at least three channels, however, nearly 40% say brand messaging rarely feels connected.
Meanwhile, WhatsApp is the most commonly used messaging app in the UK and presents a “very direct and personal way” for brands to reach consumers, according to Ben Jackson, managing director EMEA at Klaviyo.
The research finds 90% of UK consumers say they are likely to engage with brands on WhatsApp, while one in four (25%) want to hear from brands on WhatsApp at least once a day.
“Our research reveals… that consumers are open to hearing from brands organically and regularly on WhatsApp, especially when they are offering personalised communications and discounts,” Jackson says. “However, this needs to be part of a connected omnichannel experience that reflects how customers behave.”
Source: Klaviyo
65% of Brits support alcohol TV ad restrictions
Almost two-thirds (65%) of Brits either strongly support or somewhat support a ban on brands advertising alcohol on TV before the 9pm watershed, according to a poll by YouGov. Just 20% oppose the idea.
When Brits were asked how they feel about a total ban on advertising alcohol online, including social media, half (52%) strongly or somewhat support the move, while around a third (32%) either strongly or somewhat oppose it.
Split by gender, women are more likely to support the ban (57%) compared with 47% of men, of a sample size of 5,160 adults in Great Britain.
The poll comes after leaked documents from the Department of Health and Social Care, seen by Sky News, outline a potential plan to completely ban alcohol advertising within the UK.
Current rules, which were introduced in October 2005, state that ads for alcohol mustn’t target under-18s or portray people drinking in an “adolescent or juvenile” way, and models used in ads must look older than 25.
Source: YouGov
Over half of UK consumers put off by impersonal brand experiences
Over half (55%) of consumers are put off by brand experiences that still feel impersonal, despite soaring expectations for personalisation, according to a new report from SAP Emarsys.
Despite 61% of consumers valuing personalised content and 68% more likely to stay loyal to brands that tailor experiences, less than half (44%) of UK marketers say their campaigns are truly personalised. Meanwhile, just 38% of marketers have access to real-time data across channels, limiting their ability to act on behavioural insights
The report claims that fragmented data, outdated tech stacks and lack of access to real-time behavioural insights are blocking progress, resulting in one-size-fits-all experiences that can push younger consumers away.
“Big budgets are only as effective as the marketers that wield them,” said Daniel Hagos, SVP revenue and managing director at SAP Emarsys. “If you’re spending money in a way that doesn’t reach the consumer on their terms, it’s easy to waste that advantage – whether that’s failing to effectively personalise their experience with you, or failing to reach them through the channels that they prefer.”
Source: SAP Emarsys
