Tesco looks set to win the battle of the supermarkets this Christmas, according to an exclusive survey of consumers’ spending plans for the festive season carried out for The Grocer.
Almost a third of consumers who are not regular Tesco shoppers plan to visit the retailer in the run-up to Christmas, according to the survey of 2,500 consumers conducted for The Grocer by HI Europe.
The UK’s number one retailer comes out top for food and alcohol, with 38% of consumers saying it is best for food and a third of those surveyed saying best for alcohol. It is also voted number one for food and drink present ideas.
Tesco marketing director Tim Mason said the company pulled out all the stops at Christmas to give its customers an enjoyable and hassle-free shopping trip over the period.
“It’s great that the hard work our staff put into planning and delivering this has been recognised by those taking part in the survey,” he said.
Asda is the nation’s second favourite for food and drink, with Sainsbury and Safeway trailing behind. Morrisons performs particularly well considering its size, with 15% of consumers saying it is best for food and 12% best for alcohol, just behind Sainsbury’s 18%.
Unsurprisingly, Asda tops the league for non-food ideas, with a quarter saying it is the best retailer for these. Thirty per cent say Asda is best for Christmas household items and 26% for toys and games.
But Tesco’s non-food strategy appears to be paying off as it comes in second to Asda, well ahead of Sainsbury, Safeway and Morrisons. “This year our range of food and non-food is better than ever, with something to suit every customer’s taste and budget,” said Mason.
City analysts and industry commentators agree that non-food will drive growth in the sector this Christmas.
KPMG head of retail Amanda Aldridge said better availability plus the fact consumers need to visit the supermarkets for their festive fayre will ensure there is high footfall in non-food departments.
The fact Sainsbury is only just capitalising on non-food meant it could be the biggest loser over Christmas, said one analyst.
Supermarkets should get ready for the rush as 28% of consumers plan to begin their food shopping one or two weeks before Christmas.
But it is not all good news for the grocery chains. Three quarters of those surveyed said longer queues at the checkout annoyed them at this time of year while 44% were unhappy with out of stocks, 30% piped Christmas music and 14% irritable store staff.
>>Tesco tills will be a’jingling p32
Siân Harrington
Almost a third of consumers who are not regular Tesco shoppers plan to visit the retailer in the run-up to Christmas, according to the survey of 2,500 consumers conducted for The Grocer by HI Europe.
The UK’s number one retailer comes out top for food and alcohol, with 38% of consumers saying it is best for food and a third of those surveyed saying best for alcohol. It is also voted number one for food and drink present ideas.
Tesco marketing director Tim Mason said the company pulled out all the stops at Christmas to give its customers an enjoyable and hassle-free shopping trip over the period.
“It’s great that the hard work our staff put into planning and delivering this has been recognised by those taking part in the survey,” he said.
Asda is the nation’s second favourite for food and drink, with Sainsbury and Safeway trailing behind. Morrisons performs particularly well considering its size, with 15% of consumers saying it is best for food and 12% best for alcohol, just behind Sainsbury’s 18%.
Unsurprisingly, Asda tops the league for non-food ideas, with a quarter saying it is the best retailer for these. Thirty per cent say Asda is best for Christmas household items and 26% for toys and games.
But Tesco’s non-food strategy appears to be paying off as it comes in second to Asda, well ahead of Sainsbury, Safeway and Morrisons. “This year our range of food and non-food is better than ever, with something to suit every customer’s taste and budget,” said Mason.
City analysts and industry commentators agree that non-food will drive growth in the sector this Christmas.
KPMG head of retail Amanda Aldridge said better availability plus the fact consumers need to visit the supermarkets for their festive fayre will ensure there is high footfall in non-food departments.
The fact Sainsbury is only just capitalising on non-food meant it could be the biggest loser over Christmas, said one analyst.
Supermarkets should get ready for the rush as 28% of consumers plan to begin their food shopping one or two weeks before Christmas.
But it is not all good news for the grocery chains. Three quarters of those surveyed said longer queues at the checkout annoyed them at this time of year while 44% were unhappy with out of stocks, 30% piped Christmas music and 14% irritable store staff.
>>Tesco tills will be a’jingling p32
Siân Harrington
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