Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Nine out of ten Britons increasingly keeping tabs on spending -NielsenIQ

Confidence levels among Britain’s consumers are at record lows as wages are failing to keep pace with inflation.

Nine out of ten Britons increasingly keeping tabs on spending -NielsenIQ

SALES volumes at UK supermarkets fell 4.1% year-on-year in the four weeks to July 16, with nine out of ten Britons saying they are increasingly watching what they are spending as they battle a cost of living crunch, industry data showed on Tuesday.

Market researcher NielsenIQ highlighted a 9.4% dip in sales volumes of meat, fish and poultry, an 8.1% fall in household items and a 6.4% decline in packaged groceries, as households sought to manage their shopping budget amid soaring inflation.


Confidence levels among Britain's consumers are at record lows as wages are failing to keep pace with inflation that hit a 40-year high of 9.4% in June and is heading for double digits.

NielsenIQ said spend per visit, across all channels, was down 5% as shoppers continued to make trade-offs, such as opting to buy smaller packs, delaying purchases or changing the products they buy.

It said 49% of UK consumers are feeling less secure about meeting day to day expenses within the next six months.

"Moreover, a staggering 90% are increasingly watching what they are spending, with 62% saying that food and grocery costs are one of the highest causes of financial concern, second only to the cost of utility bills."

One fifth of British households had "negative disposable income" last month, with a shortfall between what they earned and what they needed to spend on essentials, supermarket group Asda said on Monday. Read full story

NielsenIQ said total sales on a value basis rose 4.4% year-on-year over the four week period, reflecting inflation and the start of a heatwave, which boosted demand for water, ice cream and suncare products. Total sales were up 5.6% in the final week of the period.

Store visits were up 10% year-on-year. The slowdown in online grocery continued with sales falling 10.5% year-on-year, but online's share of the total UK grocery market was stable at 11.5%.

Echoing data last week from rival researcher Kantar, market leader Tesco TSCO.L was the best performer among Britain's big four grocers.

(Reuters)

More For You

Trump

Trump said the suspect had been arrested earlier for 'terrible crimes,' including child sex abuse, grand theft auto and false imprisonment, but was released under the Biden administration because Cuba refused to take him back.

Getty Images

Trump says accused in Dallas motel beheading will face first-degree murder charge

US PRESIDENT Donald Trump has described Chandra Mouli “Bob” Nagamallaiah, the Indian-origin motel manager killed in Dallas, as a “well-respected person” and said the accused will face a first-degree murder charge.

Nagamallaiah, 50, was killed last week at the Downtown Suites motel by co-worker Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, a 37-year-old undocumented Cuban immigrant with a criminal history.

Keep ReadingShow less
Starmer Mandelson

Starmer talks with Mandelson during a welcome reception at the ambassador's residence on February 26, 2025 in Washington, DC.

Getty

Starmer under pressure from party MPs after Mandelson dismissal

PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer is facing questions within the Labour party after the sacking of US ambassador Peter Mandelson.

Mandelson was removed last week after Bloomberg published emails showing messages of support he sent following Jeffrey Epstein’s conviction for sex offences. The dismissal comes just ahead of US president Donald Trump’s state visit.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nepal’s new leader pledges to act on Gen Z calls to end corruption

Officials greet newly-elected Prime Minister of Nepal's interim government Sushila Karki (R) as she arrives at the prime minister's office in Kathmandu on September 14, 2025. (Photo by PRABIN RANABHAT/AFP via Getty Images)

Nepal’s new leader pledges to act on Gen Z calls to end corruption

NEPAL’s new interim prime minister Sushila Karki on Sunday (14) pledged to act on protesters’ calls to end corruption and restore trust in government, as the country struggles with the aftermath of its worst political unrest in decades.

“We have to work according to the thinking of the Gen Z generation,” Karki said in her first address to the nation since taking office on Friday (12). “What this group is demanding is the end of corruption, good governance and economic equality. We will not stay here more than six months in any situation. We will complete our responsibilities and hand over to the next parliament and ministers.”

Keep ReadingShow less
UK secures £1.25bn US investment ahead of Trump’s visit

US president Donald Trump and UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer arrive at Trump International Golf Links on July 28, 2025 in Balmedie, Scotland. (Photo by Jane Barlow-WPA Pool/Getty Images)

UK secures £1.25bn US investment ahead of Trump’s visit

THE British government has announced over £1.25 billion ($1.69bn) in fresh investment from major US financial firms, including PayPal, Bank of America, Citigroup and S&P Global, ahead of a state visit by president Donald Trump.

The investment is expected to create 1,800 jobs across London, Edinburgh, Belfast and Manchester, and deepen transatlantic financial ties, the Department for Business and Trade said.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nearly 150,000 join anti-migrant protest in London as clashes erupt

Protesters wave Union Jack and St George's England flags during the "Unite The Kingdom" rally on Westminster Bridge by the Houses of Parliament on September 13, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

Nearly 150,000 join anti-migrant protest in London as clashes erupt

MORE THAN 100,000 protesters marched through central London on Saturday (13), carrying flags of England and Britain and scuffling with police in one of the UK's biggest right-wing demonstrations of modern times.

London's Metropolitan Police said the "Unite the Kingdom" march, organised by anti-immigrant activist Tommy Robinson, was attended by nearly 150,000 people, who were kept apart from a "Stand Up to Racism" counter-protest attended by around 5,000.

Keep ReadingShow less