Parents and carers spent 12.5% less on school uniform in the run-up to the start of this academic year, turning to promotions and second-hand items to keep expenses down as families struggled with the cost of living crisis. The average spend on school uniform was £54.53 in the four weeks to 6 September, down an eighth from £62.29 in the same period last year, according to the market research company Worldpanel by Numerator. Overall grocery inflation picked up to 2.3% from 2.1%.
Fraser McKevitt, the head of retail and consumer insight at the company, said “value is the watchword for parents this back-to-school season” as they try to balance stretched household budgets. Almost half of households (44%) prioritised keeping costs low above all else when it comes to buying uniform, even if that means compromising on quality, while a third (33%) aimed to strike a balance between the two, according to a back to school survey conducted by Worldpanel in August. Grocery sales rose 2% year on year over the period, the monthly Worldpanel figures showed.
August brought more warm weather and the end of a summer of sport. But with the return to school and work looming for many, shopping habits began to shift. Shoppers made 18m fewer trips to supermarkets compared with a peak of 497m in July.
The number buying satsumas (+29%) and cucumbers (+21%) also rose in the final week before the return to school. Sales at Asda rose by 0.1% over the 12 weeks to 6 September, as the grocer returned to growth for the first time since March 2024. However, the Leeds-based retailer’s market share dipped to 11.5%.
The online supermarket Ocado, with sales up by 13.3%, remained the fastest-growing grocer overall, with a slightly higher market share of 2.2%. Lidl moved up to 8.7% of the market. Sainsbury’s and Morrisons maintained their previous market share of 15.2% and 8.4%, respectively.
The UK’s largest supermarket, Tesco, dipped to 27.8% from 28.1%. The German discounter Aldi took a 10.6% share.
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