Sales surge Pre-festive sales boost as shoppers stock up on booze, biscuits and mince pies

Pent-up demand from shoppers determined to have a great Christmas has led to a pre-festive season boon for shops. 

The sales of mince pies, Christmas biscuits and alcohol have soared with an extra €164 million spent in Irish supermarkets in November 2020 compared to the same month last year.

Analysis from Kantar reveals how alcohol sales rose by 33 per cent while sales of Christmas biscuits rose by €793,000 and sales of mince pies by an additional €82,000 last month.

Emer Healy, retail analyst at Kantar, said: “November was the busiest month for the grocers since the height of the previous national lockdown in June.

“Beyond the seasonal snack aisles, roast dinners were the order of the day and sales of beef grew by 19 per cent while shoppers also spent an extra €12.2 million on vegetables over the past month.”

Ms Healy said one of the positives of national and regional restrictions this year has been learning to love the world on our doorstep and to shop local.

“This has led to a rise in sales for well-loved Irish brands like Avonmore and Keoghs, both of which put in standout performances this month, as well as Brennan's and Denny," Ms Healy added.

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Online Editors