A third of supermarket goods on promotion ahead of Christmas | Money

Almost a third of goods at supermarkets are on promotion, according to industry data as a big question mark hangs over the sector heading into 2025.

Kantar Worldpanel, which monitors sales and prices among chains, reported that 30% of products were discounted ahead of the key shopping season.

Supermarkets traditionally attempt to lock in customer loyalty before their big Christmas shop.

Money latest: Cost of typical Christmas dinner rises sharply

Discounts are widely linked to loyalty schemes – recently given a clean bill of health by regulators.

Fraser McKevitt, Kantar’s head of retail and consumer insight, said: “Sales on promotion reached 30% in November, the highest since Christmas last year.

“It’s retailer price cuts, often accessed through loyalty cards, that are really driving this. While multibuy promotions have stayed flat, spending on price cut offers has grown by 14%, worth £355m more than last year.

“Shoppers are grabbing the chance to spend that little bit more than usual on Christmas specials, and champagne, wine and spirits saw the biggest levels of buying on deal.”

Kantar reported, however, a 6.5% increase on the cost of a typical Christmas dinner, with turkey and some traditional vegetables leading the way due to higher production costs.