More than half of shoppers are worried they will not be able to get the food and drink they need for Christmas.
This is the key takeaway from a new poll carried out by Lumina Intelligence in conjunction with The Grocer. Of the more than 1,000 respondents, 56% expressed some degree of concern that the ongoing supply issues would affect their festive plans. Of these, 10% were very worried, 16% were worried and 30% slightly worried.
This nervousness is already translating into consumer behaviour – with just over a third of shoppers (34%) saying they have already begun stocking up on food and drink for Christmas or at least planning to before the end of October.
The top six categories shoppers are already purchasing are confectionery, crisps & snacks, tinned & packaged products, alcohol, soft drinks and frozen.
Stocking Up For Christmas: The Convenience Mix Podcast
“Christmas this year will be incredibly different to last, when travel restrictions and last-minute regional lockdowns ended most people’s festive plans,” said Lumina Intelligence insight director Blonnie Whist.
“Consumers will be looking to make up for lost time and with no restrictions surrounding gatherings we can expect big celebrations. However, media coverage surrounding product shortages due to the HGV driver shortage, Brexit and Covid is concerning shoppers, with some already stockpiling ahead of Christmas and many more likely to follow suit.
”Retailers need to be prepared for Christmas preparations to start early this year and should expect a bumper year for sales, but also need to communicate clearly with shoppers to ensure purchasing behaviours do not hit the extremes of April 2020 when the pressures on the supply chain peaked.”
Episode nine of The Convenience Mix Podcast sees our experts tackle the upcoming festive period. How will the HGV driver shortage impact supply? When do we expect to see shoppers start purchasing food and drink for Christmas? Click here to listen now.
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