UK: Grocery sales reached a record £13.8bn this Christmas
As forecasted back in December, despite nearly half of consumers claiming they were planning to cut back on Christmas spending, food remained a protected spend in the eyes of consumers and total grocery volumes were up 1.1%.
Total meat, fish and poultry (MFP) volumes were up 0.8%, with festive red meat cuts performing particularly well – outperforming the total grocery market.
Surprisingly, turkey was the clear casualty this Christmas, as shoppers cut back on whole birds and primary cuts. As a result, primary volumes declined by 12.0% year-on-year.
Instead, lamb was the runaway success, despite reduced demand throughout much of 2025.
In the prime Christmas shopping weeks (two weeks ending 28 December 2025), leg roasting joints drove overall lamb performance, with a 24.7% increase in volumes purchased.
Targeted promotions were particularly effective, as shoppers clearly responded to value-led deals and the promise of a festive centrepiece.
Sales of beef roasting joints were up 8.6% and pork shoulder roasting joints performed especially well, with volumes purchased increasing by 43.7% over the same period.
Retail & Consumer Insight Analyst, Charlotte Forkes-Rees, said: “It’s clear that Brits are not yet bored of the cheeseboard, but the red meat performance this season suggests that consumers are changing up their Christmas centrepieces, and we expect more people to explore alternatives to turkey in 2026.
“In December 2025, premium own-label products were present in 92% of shoppers’ baskets, highlighting that at Christmas, shoppers are willing to splurge on a treat.
“When promoting their premium ranges, retailers should ensure they emphasise indulgence and added value to encourage consumers to spend that little bit more”.
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