Grocery price inflation eases in May

In the 12 weeks to May 17, grocery price inflation rose by 5.5% compared to the same time last year - which is the slowest rate of increase since July 2025.

Grocery price inflation slowed during May to 5.5% marking the lowest rate of increase in nearly a year, new data from Worldpanel by Numerator.

However, grocery prices are still increasing faster than the general rate of inflation which has spiked recently as energy prices surge as a result of the conflict in the Middle East. The most recent consumer price index shows that overall inflation has risen by 3.6% in the year to April.

In the 12 weeks to May 17, grocery price inflation rose by 5.5% compared to the same time last year — which is the slowest rate of increase since July 2025. In April, the rate of inflation stood at 6.7%.

Take-home grocery sales increased by 2.8% in the four weeks to May 17 compared to the same time last year. Shoppers made fewer trips to stores this period, averaging 22.8 visits — one fewer than the previous month.

Shoppers spent an additional €2.5m on ice creams and sorbets during this period with table sauces up €700,000 and antipasti growing in value by €121,000 compared to last month. Sparkling wine and champagne also got a lift in sales, increasing by €408,000.

Branded good sales grew by 9.4% during this period, adding an extra €159m in sales, bringing its value share above 50%. Own label grew more modestly at 2.7%, adding €46.6m. Premium ranges also held their own, up 3.4% in value.

Supermarket share

Over the three months to May 17, Dunnes Stores just about edged out Tesco for the largest share of consumer spending. Dunnes held 23.8% of the total consumer spend during this period with sales growth of 4.3% year-on-year.

Tesco held 23.7% of the market while SuperValu was in third place at 19.6%. SuperValu leads all major retailers on trip frequency, averaging 24.5 visits.

Lidl grew its market share to 14.8%, up 0.4 percentage points versus the last period, reaching a new share record for the retailer over the latest 12 weeks. Aldi’s market share hit 11%.

Online sales rose 16.8% year on year, with the channel now contributing almost €253m to the take-home grocery market over the 12-week period. New shoppers contributed over €25 million to the channel.