Christmas Dinner Cost Rises 6.5% to £32.57 Amid Record Festive Spending

• The average Christmas dinner for four now costs £32.57, up 6.5% from last year
• Grocery inflation climbs to 2.6%, with sales expected to exceed £13 billion in December
• Tesco achieves its highest market share since 2017 at 28.1%

The cost of Christmas dinner has risen significantly this year, with the average meal for four now priced at £32.57, a 6.5% increase compared to last year. This rise outpaces overall grocery inflation, which stands at 2.6%, according to Kantar’s latest analysis.

Despite rising prices, supermarkets are set to break records with sales expected to surpass £13 billion in December for the first time. Popular items like sweet biscuits, cheese biscuits, and Christmas puddings have seen a surge in sales, with shoppers also splurging on premium own-label products and festive treats like Champagne and spirits.

Key Insights from Kantar:

Grocery spending trends: Spending on premium own-label products is expected to rise to nearly 7% in December.

Promotional sales: Deals accessed through supermarket loyalty cards drove promotional sales to 30% in November, the highest since last Christmas.

Supermarket performance:

Tesco achieved a 28.1% market share, its highest since 2017, with a 5.2% sales increase.

Sainsbury’s market share rose to 15.9%, with sales up 4.7%.

Lidl was the fastest-growing grocer, with a 6.6% sales increase.

Spending at M&S grew by 10.4%, while Waitrose grew slightly ahead of the market at 2.6%.

Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, said: “Many of us take the chance to treat ourselves at this time of year, and retailers are rolling out seasonal product lines to help us celebrate in style.”

Tom Church, Co-Founder of LatestDeals.co.uk, commented: “While prices have risen, savvy shoppers can still find great deals through loyalty schemes and festive promotions to make Christmas dinner special without breaking the bank.”