+11,5% supermarket’ sales increase in Attica during the 2nd wave of pandemic

Monday, October 19, 2020

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The second wave of the pandemic, raised supermarket demand after mid-September, with indicative double-digit growth in Attica stores but also, the increase by 9.4% of sales in the total market.

This is the rate of increase of sales in the main categories of fmcg products during the third week of September (ended 20/09) and is the highest since mid-May, after the end of lockdown, according to IRI data on weekly market performance. Should note that for the whole market there was a previous growth of 5% and 1.2%, the first and second week of September respectively (compared to the corresponding weeks of last year).

The evidence indicates that consumers after shopping supplies, following the return from summer vacation, and also associated with the start of the school season, gradually reduced their spending. However, the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the rapid increase in cases, especially in Attica and locally in some other regions, simultaneously with the strictest recommendations for individual responsibility, movement restriction and increase telecommuting, changed the data. It is no coincidence that the market almost double-digit growth in the third week of September, is mostly because of the Attica market, which controls a share of almost 54%, which operated at a rate of 11.5% (1.1% in the second week of the month and 5.3% in the first).

Apart from the fact that this trend boosts the annual performance of the supermarket market (emerges at 9.5%), it also reflects its spread and in other market sectors. For confirmation, IRI data for the week ended 20/9/2020 show a significant growth in personal hygiene items 12% (from 1.8% a week earlier), with significant growth also for household items and food, 9.5% and 7.3% respectively, but the sector that led is that of other products, with growth of 21.3% compared to the corresponding week of 2019.

At points of sales

Observing points of sale, it is noted that after Attica, which holds the lion’s share of the market, with a share of 53.9%, follow the stores of Thessaloniki with a share of 10.2%, which showed a growth of 8.1% and the stores in Central Greece with a share of 12.8% with a growth of 9.7%. Northern Greece, with a share of 8.8%, showed growth of 5.8%, the Peloponnese, with a share of 7.6%, showed an impressive increase of 13.3%, while Crete with a share of 6.7%, still showing losses of 3,1%.

Also the trend per store category gives a lead to supermarkets (stores over 2,500 sq.m.) with 25.3% sales increase, while the medium-sized stores (area 2,500 to 1,000 sq.m.) had 9.2% increase in sales. The smaller departments (area 1,000 to 400 sq.m.) recorded sales increase of 5.9%, and mini markets (up to 400 sq.m.) were strengthened by 4.1%.

Sophia Emmanuel

Source; fortunegreece.com