2022 SDR Convenience & Impulse - Flipbook - Page 23
CONVENIENCE CATEGORY OVERVIEW
CONVENIENCE DEEP DIVE
Of the sub-channels within convenience, unaffiliated
independents saw the sharpest decline (-5.0%) followed
by multiples (-4.1%) according to IGD data13. However,
independents remain in growth when comparing figures
to pre-pandemic levels (+12.9%).13 Both symbols (-2.3%)
and co-ops (-2.4%) achieved a performance ahead of
the total convenience market (-3.2%), indicating a greater
resilience in maintaining their gains from 2020.13
CONVENIENCE DATA TABLES
With the easing of Covid restrictions across the
year, many consumers began returning to their prepandemic shopping habits. The last few months of
2021 saw shoppers begin moving back into grocery and
discounters as they become less cautious about visiting
larger shops. A total of £7 million in spend switched from
convenience to discounters, while £10 million switched
from convenience to supermarkets during this time.14
THE BIGGEST MOVEMENT OF SPEND WAS TO THE SUPERMARKETS (+62M)16
DISCOUNTERS ALSO BENEFITTED (+24M) AS ONLINE SAW -£54M IN SWITCHING LOSSES YOY
DISCOUNTERS
ONLINE
+£24M
£1
M
£4
HIGH STREET
£7M
-£14M
£15M
£17M
£3M
-£19M
CONVENIENCE
-£54M
M
£4M
£1 M
£10M
+£62M
SUPERMARKETS
Kantar Worldpanel Online – Grocery Retail Christmas Viewpoint 2021 – Switching between Channels 4WE Year-on-Year 26 Dec 21 vs 27 Dec 20
This had an adverse effect on the convenience channel,
with top up shopping declining from 46% in January to
33% in October.15
Despite this loss of shoppers versus the previous year,
convenience channel penetration remained heightened
compared to pre-pandemic levels, with over two
thirds (67%) of shoppers visiting convenience stores
every week in 2021.16 Consumers continued to visit
convenience stores more frequently – twice a week on
average – although this represented a slight fall from a
peak of 2.2 times per week seen throughout 2020.16
industry.16 The vaccine rollout and booster rollout also
appeared to increase confidence among shoppers,
especially older consumers. Shortly after the end of the
Covid shielding programme on 15th September 2021,
data from the Office of National Statistics found 94% of
clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) people had left the
home between 11th October to 16th October 2021 – an
increase on the 89% of CEV people who left their home
between 17th and 22nd May 2021.17 Most notably, trips
to newsagents and independents increased last year,
with older consumers who are more commonly on this
mission picking this routine back up.
In addition, the lingering impact of Covid meant many
shoppers continued to shy away from the office, instead
choosing to work and shop more locally. This, paired with
‘support local’ campaigns, benefitted the convenience
These factors, and the fact that the channel slackened
markedly in the H2 2020, saw the convenience channel
as a whole recover in the second half of 2021 and deliver
small full year growth.13
14 Kantar Worldpanel Online – Grocery Retail Christmas Viewpoint 2021 – Switching between Channels 4WE Year-on-Year 26 Dec 21 vs 27 Dec 20
15 Lumina Intelligence - Q4 Convenience Strategy Forum Debrief – Convenience Tracking Programme, 2020-2021 - % Mission over time
16 Lumina Intelligence – UK Convenience Market report 2021 – July 21
17 www.gov.uk - Coronavirus and clinically extremely vulnerable people in England: 11 October to 16 October 2021
CONVENIENCE CATEGORY OVERVIEW
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