WEALTH March 9, 2026 0 Comments

February Grocery Sales Surge 4.8% — How Dunnes Stores Outsmarted Competitors to Cement Its Market Dominance

Ever wonder how a trio of celebrations—Pancake Tuesday, Valentine’s Day, and the Six Nations—could fuel a nearly 5% surge in take-home grocery sales across Ireland? It’s a fascinating peek into consumer behavior that shows just how festivity-driven buying habits can really shift the market. According to the latest insights from Worldpanel by Numerator, not only did shoppers ramp up their trip frequency by 5.7%, but they also weren’t shy about splurging an extra €159 million on branded products in the most recent 12-week sprint. What’s striking here is the undeniable comfort shoppers find in familiar brands, even while tightening their belts—proof that trust and recognition hold massive sway when wallets are squeezed. Meanwhile, own-label items are holding their ground and even flourishing in the premium segment, suggesting consumers crave quality without the sticker shock. So, what does this mean for retailers and entrepreneurs? The game is about blending tradition with innovation and doubling down on trusted names while seizing niche growth opportunities. Ready to dissect the full story behind these numbers and strategies? LEARN MORE.

Take-home grocery sales increased 4.8% in the four weeks to 22 February compared with the same period last year, data from Worldpanel by Numerator shows.

Trip frequency also rose 5.7% as shoppers stocked up for Pancake Tuesday, Valentine’s Day and the Six Nations during the month.

“February was a busy month of celebrations, and the data indicates that Irish shoppers stocked up on their food and drink favorites to make the most of these events,” said Eimear Faughan, head of retail for Ireland at Worldpanel by Numerator.

Over the latest 12-week period, brands have seen accelerated value and volume growth, with shoppers spending an additional €159m on branded products year-on-year.

Brands hold more than half of the market, at 50.9%, and shoppers turning to branded products when indulging has resulted in an additional €45.3m spend on branded wine and chocolate confectionery.

“Although shoppers are still feeling the pinch, this doesn’t mean that they have stopped turning to brands they know and trust, which highlights just how much shoppers value familiarity,” Eimear Faughnan added.

Own label products continue to perform strongly, seeing annualised growth of 2.9%.

The strongest growth has been observed in premium own label, with shoppers spending an additional €8.7m on these ranges versus last year.

Own label now holds 44.6% of value market share, down from 45.6% last year.

Around Valentine’s Day, the value of confectionery chocolate sales increased 21.5% while champagne and sparkling wine rose 15.8% and wine sale increased 31.3%.

Boxed chocolates, typically a popular Valentine’s Day gift, gained new shoppers, increasing by 4.5 percentage points.

Despite the uptick in sales across these two alcohol categories, demand for low- and no-alcohol options continued.

Spending on the category totalled €2.2m, up 46.1% on last year. Meanwhile, an extra €1.65m was spent on fresh and frozen dine-in meals over the four weeks.

Around one in six households (15%) bought pre-made pancakes for Shrove Tuesday, and sales in the category rose €400,000 compared to the previous month.

Looking at market share, Dunnes Stores holds the lead with 24.5% share over the 12 weeks to 22 February, with value sales up 4.9% year-on-year.

Dunnes recruited new shoppers to stores, contributing an additional €30m to the grocer.

Tesco’s share increased by 0.3 percentage points in the latest period, growing ahead of the market at 6.7% and taking its share to 24.2%.

Grocery — Take-home grocery sales rose 4.8% year-on-year in February.

SuperValu saw 0.5% value growth, with 19.5% share, and increased footfall, contributing an additional €33m to sales.

Aldi grew by 1.4%, with a 4.7% increase in trip frequency, taking share to 10.5%.

Lidl posted double-digit growth for the third consecutive period, with growth of 12.2% contributing to its share increasing by 0.8 percentage points.

Lidl was the only retailer to increase its volumes, up 2.9% compared to the same period last year.

(Pic: Getty Images)