Month-level sales in a week: The impact a virus can make on our shopping habits

Fanni Kalocsai
head of sales
dunnhumby

Data by dunnhumby reveal how the spreading of the coronavirus has changed the market of FMCG products. On the last week of February sales surged in several categories in Tesco stores, and the sales increase was the biggest in the flour category: more than three times more was sold than on the previous week. Rice sales soared by 172 percent and canned food, pasta, oil and sugar sales also grew considerably. Disinfectant sales got 2.5 times bigger. Data reveal that the number of shoppers was basically the same, but they spent billions more: the basket number grew just 2 percent, but customers spent almost 17 percent more. They bought basically the same things they usually do during big shops, but much more of them. These are stunning numbers in only one week. (x)