The growth in sales, up from 3.6% in the previous month, was aided by a boost NIQ has attributed to a short heatwave, when weekly sales growth hit 6.6%, according to the Total Till data. 

Online sales performed well, with sales up 6.8% compared to in-store growth of 3.8%.  Across all supermarkets, visits to stores increased +2.7% and online occasions (orders) were up 10.5% compared with the same period last year.

Additionally, NIQ data found that sales in the convenience channel also increased after a slow 2024 to date, with 4.8% growth.

Mike Watkins, UK head of retailer and business insight, NIQ, said: “Retailers will be pleased to have maintained shopper spend beyond Euro 2024, with the warm summer weather adding a boost to sales.”

According to NIQ’s Homescan survey data from July 2024, inflation is the top concern for 29% of households. Watkins said: “With almost one in three households’ top concern still being inflation and  shoppers still looking for value, it’s clear that loyalty and membership schemes remain key to encourage spend.”

Data is taken from NIQ’s continuous panel of 14,550 GB households, which measures household purchasing through major supermarkets intended for in-home consumption and brought back into the home. It includes food and drink, household, and personal care and an estimate of non-food spend (eg clothing, electrical, cards and stationery, newspapers and magazines, toys, music, general merchandise) and tobacco.