Online share of UK grocery sales increased from 11.3 per cent in December to 13.1 per cent last month, according to data from NielsenIQ.

The figures demonstrate that online grocery continued to be strong against a peak of 16.1 per cent in January last year - when the UK was in lockdown - and marks the highest share of sales since July 2021.

The research found that overall till sales at UK supermarkets dropped by 2.9 per cent during the same four-week period in comparison to 2020.

The study also revealed that while there were “significantly fewer online shopping occasions” than January last year, this was compensated by more visits to stores.

“Sales during the first weeks of January are typically some of the lowest in the year and given last year’s lockdown, we’re measuring against very high comparatives,” said Mike Watkins, NielsenIQ UK head of retailer and business insight. “However, our latest data shows a continued resilience in online grocery shopping and rising sales at convenience stores in recent weeks.

“This suggests that shoppers are continuing to adopt omnichannel shopping habits, now that all remaining restrictions are lifted. January is also traditionally a month where shoppers are keen to keep household costs low, and along with the added convenience of online shopping, consumers have the opportunity to shop savvy by editing previous shopping lists, searching for lower cost alternatives, and managing the total ‘checkout’ spend if they are looking to economise when shopping for groceries online.”

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