Food and drink spending is down across multiple channels, according to The Grocer’s first Share of Stomach Index.
The Share of Stomach Index is a new quarterly report from The Grocer based on Spendmapper analysis of card transactions from 180,000 consumers across 750 retailers, restaurants, bars and cafés over the past 15 months. The figures are scaled using census data to give a nationally representative view of spend, excluding cash.
The data shows total spend on food and drink rose by 1.8% in the first three months of the year versus the same period last year, which is well behind inflation and points to a real-term fall in volume.
The worst affected channels were high-end restaurants, bars and pubs and fast grocery delivery.
Grocery accounted for 73.7% of food and drink spend in the first quarter of the year, a rise of 2.7% compared with the first quarter of 2025.
“The launch of the Share of Stomach index provides a clear and immediate view of how UK food and drink spend is shifting on a quarterly and annual basis,” said Spendmapper director Lauren Ambrose.
“In a market shaped by fast-moving cost pressures, from inflation to changing customer habits influenced by social media, there is growing value in data that offers a live view of the nuances of everyday food spend.
“As the quarter has unfolded, Q1 increasingly looks like a tale of two halves. While the full impact of the Iran conflict is unlikely to be reflected yet, early signals are beginning to emerge. Fuel data shows a sharp increase in average transaction values, which is likely to feed through into broader household spending decisions.
“With grocery spend already trending upwards towards the end of Q1, we may see more pronounced shifts in consumer behaviour in the coming months.”
The full report is available here.
No comments yet