David Potts

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The Days of families tucking into a Christmas Pudding after the festive dinner slowly coming to an end?

the Numbers from Market Research firm Kantar suggest you may be, as the sale of the traditional dessert, numbers fell by 16% in the UK in the run-up to Christmas.

There was also a 11% lower Sales of seasonal pastries in the supermarkets while Turkey Sales rose by 1%.

The figures come as Morrisons , said its Sales over the Christmas period, amid the "challenging" trading conditions.

Britain's fourth largest supermarket chain reported a 1. 7% decline in like-for-like Sales strip out the impact of the new markets, without fuel, for the 22 weeks to 5. January.

Morrisons is The First of the Big Four chains to report on Christmas business, with Sainsbury's and Tesco due to report later This Week .

Festive winner

On Monday, the discount chain Aldi said that its total UK Sales rose in The Four weeks to 24 December , 7. 9% from a year ago, although it did not give a like-for-like comparison. It also said it sold 55 million mince pies in the run-up to Christmas.

According to Kantar, the Aldi's Sales in the 12 weeks up to 29. December went up to 5. 9%.

Fellow Discounter Lidl had the highest percentage increase in Sales growth for brick-and-mortar supermarkets, over the same period, with Sales up 10. 8%.

Lidl and Aldi had their highest ever combined Christmas-market share of 13. 7% - More Than treble the figure in 2009.

But , the UK's fastest growing food business, according to Kantar online retailer Ocado, where Sales rose by 12. 5%.

industry data show that there is already a pretty slow Christmas for the supermarkets, with next to no growth.

households, on average, less spent this festive period than last. The big food retailers have worked very hard to get us to part with our cash, with many promotions on alcohol and cheap fuel.

was The Competition intense. According to Kantar, The Four major food retailers have all struggled to increase Sales and market share. Once Again , Aldi and Lidl, Paradise, moved in a shopping centre, especially thanks to the opening of dozens of new shops.

retailers hope that consumers will feel More trust in 2020, driven by wages rising faster than inflation. But the big food retailers are likely to remain Under Pressure .

change, to achieve The discounters, a combined 17% market share this year, and shopper behavior to continue. For example, fast-food operators such as Deliveroo are growing in popularity.

"no, after the election, rush"

Overall, the Kantar, it will be noted figures that in the 12 weeks to 29 December , supermarket Sales of 0 increased. 2% compared to the previous year - the slowest growth over the Christmas season for 2015.

"There was no sign of the post-election rush many had hoped for, in The Last couple of weeks before Christmas, the buyers are carefully watching their budgets," said Kantar's Fraser McKevitt.

While Sales of some foods went up, The Fizz , the Sparkling Wine went with its increase in turnover of 8%.

Morrisons , recently said the trading was already "unusually challenging,"

But the beer and wine were More popular than in the year 2018, the corresponding increase of 1% and 2% of their Sales over the previous year.

And instead of Christmas Pudding , desserts proved to be the most common sponge puddings (up to 12 goods. 4% in 2018), disintegrate (up to 9. 4%), and Pudding to go with them (up 28%).

Other data of The Company Nielsen, the different methods to Kantar, said supermarket Sales grew only 0. 5% in The Last four weeks.

He said: grocery Sales reached a peak of £6. 2 billion in the Two Weeks to 28. December - But this was down 0. 2%, compared with the same period in the year 2018.

'Hard-fought'

the reflection of Morrison's figures, The Company 's chief executive, David Potts , said: "It was encouraging that during an unusually challenging period for the sale, the execution was strong, and our profitability is robust, what is the width of the base of the progress we have made during the turn.

"As always, we have some insights into the New Year and look forward to 2020 with a strong plan and solid Foundation to continue to grow. "

Morrisons said, the most important Christmas items were "very competitive", with the most prices the same or lower than in the year 2018.

Richard Lim , chief executive of Retail Economics, said the results suggested that Morrisons had been "outmanoeuvred" by its competitors.

"Declining Sales in the highly competitive food industry," he added. "Buyer price remained fixated on the search for The Best value, and very sensitive, against the background of continued Uncertainty . "

retailing, christmas, supermarkets, food, companies, morrisons

Source of news: bbc.com