Supermarkets became the top pick for many parents buying new school clothes this summer after the grocers invested heavily in cutting prices, new data shows.
While the overall childrenswear market for back to school dipped slightly over the summer, sales in supermarkets rose 8.4%, according to Worldpanel, previously known as Kantar.
“The grocers clearly did their homework on back-to-school fashion,” said Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Worldpanel.
“Value is still at the front of shoppers’ minds, and retailers have tapped into this. Average prices have fallen, and buyers have increased their basket sizes as they aim to make the most of the discounts on the table.”
The new school year was typically the most popular point in the academic year to bring a packed lunch to school, McKevitt added, with supermarkets again capitalising as a result.
In the two weeks to 7 September, sales of lunchbox staples shot up among families with children compared with the previous fortnight. Yoghurt sales grew by 26%, while sliced cooked meats rose 17% and cheddar cheese by 24%.
“While sandwiches still pack a punch at lunch, featuring in over half of kids’ lunchboxes, they are disappearing from some school bags as options like cooked poultry become more popular,” McKevitt noted.
It came as overall supermarket sales grew by 4.8% in the four weeks to 7 September, helped by food inflation falling for the second consecutive month to 4.9%.
Tesco’s sales were up 7.7% over the summer – its highest rate since December 2023 – helping bring its total market share to 28.4%.
Lidl remains the fastest-growing bricks and mortar retailer with sales up 11%, bringing its market share to 8.2% from 7.8% a year ago.
Sales of own label once again grew ahead of brands, meaning supermarkets’ own lines now make up over 51% of sales.
“It’s the premium own-label goods which are the real standout performers,” said McKevitt, with sales up 10.3%. This is the sixth month in a row they’ve increased by double digits.
“However, brands are holding ground in some categories, including toothbrushes, frozen chicken and baby toiletries, showing that consumers still value well-known names across some very different parts of the store,” he said.
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