Data: M&S lags behind while grocery sales rise on health kick
Warm weather and a sunny Father’s Day helped boost UK grocery sales last month
Warm weather and a sunny Father’s Day helped boost UK grocery sales last month, with shoppers spending more on health-focused foods like berries, yoghurts and vitamins, according to new data from NielsenIQ (NIQ).
Total till sales rose 3.8% in the four weeks to 14 June, up from 3% the previous month. In-store visits jumped 4.5%, far outpacing online growth at 1.5%, although the average spend per trip fell 2.5% to £18.61 as cost-conscious consumers continued to seek value.
Sales of big pot yoghurts surged 29%, with vitamin and health products up 15%. Shoppers also spent an additional £23.3 million on berries, while frozen fruit, rice cakes and sushi saw notable gains.
NIQ head of retailer and business insight Mike Watkins said: “In the first six weeks of summer 2025, shoppers have spent £700m more — and 75% of that has gone on fresh and chilled foods. This suggests a growing shift toward convenient, healthy and nutritious options.”
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But while health was top of mind for many consumers, not all retailers saw a lift.
M&S food sales growth slowed to 9.1% in the 12 weeks to 14 June, down from 10.8% the previous month and 14.7% before that.
The slowdown reflects disruption caused by a cyberattack in April, which forced the retailer to suspend online clothing orders and temporarily take other systems offline — leading to reduced food availability and higher waste and logistics costs.
M&S resumed taking clothing orders on 10 June, after a 46-day suspension. The retailer has warned the attack could cost it around £300m in lost operating profit.
Despite the setback, M&S market share edged up 10 basis points year-on-year to 3.7%, although this was slightly down on last month’s reading of 3.8%.
Elsewhere, Ocado continued to lead growth at 15.6%, while Tesco and Sainsbury’s also saw strong performances with sales up 6.6% and 5.8% respectively.
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