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Britons who work from home during the running of the bulls have turned to the conveniences of coffee, tea and cookies and a good book.
We’ve wasted an additional £ 24 million on tea and coffee and an additional £ 19 million on cookies in the past three months, says market research firm Kantar.
The company also reported that grocery sales hit a record £ 31.6 billion in the 12 weeks to July 12.
We’ve also been reading a lot more, according to publisher Bloomsbury, who has seen book sales increase.
Online delivery increase
“The cost of working from home is starting to rise for many,” said Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer sales at Kantar, speaking about the extra money we’ve spent on hot drinks and cookies.
The research firm said grocery sales during the shutdown have increased 16.9%, the fastest growth rate since its records began in 1994.
With more people turning to online supermarkets, home delivery stores now account for 13% of the market, up from 7.4% in March at the start of the blockade.
“Although restrictions have eased, more than one in five households still placed an order online in the past four weeks,” said McKevitt.
He said that even though bars, bars and restaurants recently reopened, more than half of consumers say they still feel uncomfortable visiting a pub.
“As a result, take-home alcohol sales still increased 41% this month as people couldn’t or avoided drinking,” said McKevitt.
Increased reading
There has been an increase in reading during the running of the bulls, according to publisher Bloomsbury.
Its sales are up nearly a fifth from last year, and its consumer division reported a 28% increase in revenue.
“Our good performance in May and June in particular was unexpected,” the company said.
His bestsellers have included JK Rowling’s ever-popular Harry Potter series, but also books related to the Black Lives Matter campaign.
‘Why am I no longer talking to white people about race’ by Reni Eddo-Lodge has topped the bestseller charts in recent weeks, while 2016’s ‘White Rage: The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide’ book Carol Anderson climbed the New York Times to the Top 10 Best Sellers list.
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Reni Eddo-Lodge’s book on race has topped the UK best-seller charts in recent weeks.
Print revenue was 9% higher than the same period last year, while digital revenue grew 63% yoy, Bloomsbury said.
Returning to pre-closing purchases
Kantar said that for the past four weeks, buyers were embracing the new freedoms and cautiously reverting to their pre-closing behaviors.
He said there were indications that shoppers might be getting safer and traveling further afield for his weekly store.
“Convenience stores were a lifeline for many people in the early days of the crisis, providing essential supplies close to home,” said McKevitt.
Corner stores attracted 2.6 million fewer shoppers through their doors than at their closing peak in April, as the average distance traveled to a grocery store has increased to 4.9 km, a 10% increase from the April low.
“As closing restrictions are gradually reduced and nonessential retail outlets are reopening, some consumers are slowly resuming their pre-Covid routines and shopping habits,” said McKevitt.
YoY growth in supermarket sales slowed to 14.6% in July, up from 18.9% in June.
“However, we are clearly a long way from a complete return to normality,” he said.
Footsteps were still 15% lower over the past four weeks and the average trip to the supermarket cost £ 25.05, 35% more than in the same period last year, as most people continue to eat more meals and snacks at home.
