Britons bought more essentials after 'Be Ready' campaign launch, says Worldpanel

LONDON, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Britons bought more essential items after the government's "Be Ready" public awareness campaign launched last month, but there was no panic buying, market researcher Worldpanel by Numerator said on Tuesday.

• On October 22, the British government advised the public to keep a three-day supply of bottled water and non-perishable food in the house so they are prepared for emergencies such as climate and cyber events

• In the ten days after the campaign launch sales of bottled water jumped 67% compared to the same period last year, hand sanitiser sales increased 83%, while sales of tinned and jarred goods rose 37%, said Worldpanel

• "Shoppers clearly took notice of the 'Be Ready' campaign, but this wasn't panic buying, with less than a third of households buying bottled water in October," Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Worldpanel, said

• Worldpanel said supermarket prices were 2.6% higher than last year in the four weeks to November 1, adding to pressure on households already facing higher mortgage, motor fuel and energy costs

• That compared with 2.5% in last month's report, with prices rising fastest in products such as fresh fish, batteries and skin cleansing and falling fastest in products such as butter, cheese, smoothies and juices

• The Worldpanel data is the most up-to-date snapshot of UK consumer behaviour, providing an early indication of food pricing pressures in October. Official UK inflation data for October will be published on November 18

• UK food inflation has not hit the levels that were forecast earlier in the year. But industry groups predict it will hit nearly 7% in 2027, driven by Middle East disruption, rising input costs and extreme weather linked to El Nino

• The Worldpanel data showed UK grocery sales increased 2.2% over the four weeks year-on-year, indicating lower sales on a volume basis once inflation is taken into account

• Over the 12 weeks to November 1, industry leader Tesco's TSCO.L sales rose 1.2% year-on-year, but its market share was slightly lower for the sixth report in a row

• While Marks & Spencer MKS.L isn't fully included in the Worldpanel data set, it remained the UK's fastest-growing food retailer with a 14.6% rise in sales of groceries

UK supermarkets' market share and sales growth (%)

Source: Worldpanel by Numerator