Sausages have become more expensive, this week’s Key Value Items tracker has shown. Own-label pork sausages increased in price in both Asda and Sainsbury’s over the past week.
Asda increased the price of a pack of eight sausages from £1.50 on 1 January to £1.80 on 2 January, an increase of 20%. Sainsbury’s hiked the price from £1.49 on 29 December to £2.20, up 48%.
Paul Stainton, IPLC UK partner, linked the “big increases” in sausage prices to higher raw material pricing. The standard pig price has increased from 138.24p per kg to 197.06p per kg in the past year, according to AHDB, an increase of 42%.
Sausages also saw price increases in other supermarkets earlier in the year. Aldi increased them by 14p year on year to £1.49, and Lidl increased them by 30p to £1.79. In Morrisons, the price increased by 34% in the past year to £2, and Tesco saw an increase of 30p to £2.
Own-label carrots saw price increases in the past week across four supermarkets: Aldi, Asda, Lidl and Waitrose.
Aldi and Lidl’s price per kg was 19p in the run-up to Christmas. Lidl’s price then increased back to 45p on 29 December, and Aldi increased to 39p on 27 December, slightly less than the 45p price up to 17 December.
Asda also saw a decrease over the Christmas period, with the price dropping to 30p on 19 December, before returning to 49p on 27 December. Waitrose’s carrots decreased to 30p before Christmas, down from 70p, and then rose 60p on 27 December.
Stainton pointed to the price increases as a bounce back from the low price offers over the Christmas period.
“The Christmas week is a time when the main supermarkets and the discounters battle it out on price across the key Christmas dinner veg such as carrots, sprouts and potatoes,” said Stainton.
Tesco also offered a 19p Clubcard offer, and Sainsbury’s had a 19p offer that ended slightly earlier than the other supermarkets, returning to its ordinary price of 45p on 24 December.
Certain alcohol SKUs also saw a bounce back from low seasonal prices. The price of Villa Maria Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc increased in the past week, as well as Smirnoff Premium Vodka.
In Asda, the wine was on offer at £8, before returning to £10 on 2 January. This was a similar case in Morrisons, where it was on offer at £6.99 before returning to £10.50, and Waitrose, where it was on offer at £8, before increasing to £9.99 on 2 January, 1p cheaper than before the promotion started.
Smirnoff increased in Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Waitrose in the past week. In Morrisons this was a price increase from £13.99 to £17, a return to the price pre-November.
In Sainsbury’s and Waitrose, Smirnoff was on promotion at £14, increased to £16.50 off promotion in Sainsbury’s, and £17 in Waitrose.
Alcohol promotions played a key part of the supermarkets’ strategies in the run-up to Christmas.
“As alcohol is a big part of the Christmas basket and often an additional sale, it will also create switch for shoppers,” said Catherine Shuttleworth, CEO of Savvy, at the time. “As well as an additional sale, it’s a shop window into each retailer’s Christmas range and helps the shopper to start considering where they might place their big Christmas shop.”
KVI data showed the ending of this seasonal promotional strategy. “Prices will have risen following special offer prices for Christmas and new year,” said Stainton.
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