'Mammoth' Christmas spend and price inflation help Irish supermarkets to €14bn in 2023  

Households also spent an average of €767 on Christmas groceries, a new record, according to market research firm Kantar

Dunnes, Tesco, SuperValu, Lidl, and Aldi accounted for well over 92% of all grocery sales in the run-up to Christmas. File Picture.

Christmas grocery shoppers helped drive a "mammoth" €14bn total spend at Irish supermarkets last year, up by more than €1.1bn from the previous year, although rapidly rising prices accounted for a significant chunk of the increase, according to market research firm Kantar. 

The market researcher also found the five largest supermarkets in the Republic — Dunnes, Tesco, SuperValu, Lidl, and Aldi — increased their grip on the key Christmas trading period and accounted for well over 92% of all grocery sales in the run-up to December 25.

Spending at all supermarkets by households in the Republic  — which includes shopping at M&S, Boots, Spar, Centra, independent outlets, as well as shopping trips to the North — rose to a "record-breaking" €1.4bn in December.

The rate of price inflation as compiled by Kantar from its survey of 30,000 grocery items bought by shoppers had eased to just over 7% this Christmas from as high as 15.5% at the start of 2023, the market research firm said.  

Inflation also had a major effect on the amounts spent on groceries by shoppers for the full year, the Kantar figures show.

The research firm said total spending at all supermarkets in 2023 rose to €13.98bn, an increase of  €1.14bn or almost 9%, from the €12.84bn spent in 2022.  

"As we expected, this Christmas was a mammoth month," said Emer Healy, development director at Kantar. "While value sales are up significantly, grocery price inflation remains the driving factor behind this as opposed to increased purchasing."

Households also spent an average of €767 on Christmas groceries, a new record. 

With a market share of 24.5% of the €1.4bn Christmas spend, Dunnes was the largest supermarket by sales over the festive period. It was followed by Tesco with a share of 23.7% and Supervalu's share of 20.8%. 

Lidl accounted for 12.5% of the Christmas spend and Aldi had a share of almost 11%, according to the Kantar figures. 

"Traditional retailers always tend to perform well in the run-up to Christmas, and Christmas and 2023 was no exception," said Ms Healy.

"Sales were strong across their premium own-label lines, with spend on all ranges growing ahead of the total market."