Christmas getting costlier as retailers cut promotions
The Grocer
Christmas is getting closer, but festive bargain hunters might be left disappointed by the deals on offer in the mults. As the countdown to the big day begins, all the major mults have decreased both the number of promotions and the relative savings compared with last month [Promo Dynamic Retailers 4 w/e 3 December 2017].
The big supermarkets are also scaling down promotions compared with last Christmas. Although, Asda, the Co-op and Waitrose have all increased the number of featured space promotions in stores compared with this time last year, average savings are down across all three supermarkets.
“Asda accounts for the most promotional activity but also the biggest yearly savings drops (12.8%), so consumers should not be drawn in by the large number of Christmas offers,” says Assosia director Kay Staniland. “Although there has been both a yearly and monthly drop in the depth of the Co-op’s deals, it still provides the best savings of 34%, with above-average savings for both branded and own label.”
Meanwhile, Morrisons and Tesco are offering better average savings than last year, but fewer promotions, while Sainsbury’s has cut both the number of featured space promotions and the number of deals compared with this time last year.
Across the major mults, average savings on meat, impulse and alcohol have all dropped compared with last year, meaning “Christmas could prove more expensive this year” says Staniland. “The monthly comparison is even bleaker – with savings down for 10 out of 12 categories.”
Shoppers will find some good deals on their festive fruit and veg, with average savings on produce up by 2.3 percentage points year on year to 30.27%. However, that’s still a drop from last month, when average savings on producer were at 33.92%.
| 4 weeks to 3rd December 2017 | ||||||
| Asda | Co-op | Morrisons | Sainsbury’s | Tesco | Waitrose | |
| Number of offers | 2567 | 823 | 2157 | 2546 | 2345 | 1246 |
| Number last month | 2787 | 906 | 2291 | 2740 | 2356 | 1347 |
| % change m-o-m | -7.89% | -9.16% | -5.85% | -7.08% | -0.47% | -7.50% |
| Number last year | 2410 | 800 | 2228 | 3008 | 2387 | 1216 |
| % change on last year | 6.51% | 2.88% | -3.19% | -15.36% | -1.76% | 2.47% |
| Average start price (£) per UNIT | £3.51 | £4.13 | £4.45 | £5.04 | £4.71 | £6.02 |
| Typical Average TOTAL £ saving | £1.24 | £1.47 | £1.73 | £1.43 | £1.49 | £2.03 |
| Typical Average TOTAL % saving | 26.9% | 34.0% | 34.8% | 27.3% | 31.3% | 29.6% |
| Average % saving last month | 29.1% | 35.2% | 35.5% | 28.7% | 32.7% | 30.0% |
| % savings change m-o-m | -7.46% | -3.54% | -1.89% | -4.75% | -4.39% | -1.10% |
| Average % saving last year | 30.9% | 34.0% | 33.5% | 27.4% | 31.2% | 31.6% |
| % savings change on last year | -12.84% | -0.06% | 3.85% | -0.21% | 0.24% | -6.17% |
| Current Brand:own-label ratio | 91:9 | 77:23 | 89:11 | 78:22 | 85:15 | 86:14 |
| Ratio 1 year ago | 92:8 | 71:29 | 91:9 | 79:21 | 87:13 | 86:14 |
| Average % saving (branded) | 27.7% | 34.7% | 35.5% | 28.1% | 31.9% | 29.6% |
| Average % saving (o/l) | 18.7% | 31.3% | 28.7% | 24.6% | 27.5% | 29.7% |
| AVERAGE STARTING PRICE LAST YEAR | £3.65 | £4.33 | £4.55 | £4.56 | £4.30 | £6.42 |
| Increase/Decrease in starting price £ | -£0.14 | -£0.19 | -£0.10 | £0.49 | £0.40 | -£0.40 |
| Increase/Decrease in starting price % | -3.98% | -4.64% | -2.23% | 9.63% | 8.58% | -6.71% |
Published in The Grocer, 15 December 2017