December 2020 marks busiest ever month for British supermarkets

British supermarkets had their busiest month on record in December, with shoppers spending £11.7 billion on groceries during the Christmas period.

Market research firm Kantar said the amount spent on take-home groceries in the four weeks to December 27 was boosted as customers stocked up on goods during a period that saw lockdown restrictions tighten, with areas in Tier 4 seeing restaurants and pubs close.

Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, said: “December is always an incredibly busy time for supermarkets, but take-home grocery shopping is usually supplemented by celebrations in restaurants, pubs and bars – with £4 billion spent on food and drink, excluding alcohol, out of the home during the normal festive month."

McKevitt added: "This year, almost all those meals were eaten at home and retailers stepped up monumentally to meet the surge in demand.”