Economic world situation worries the stores before the Easter trade

Easter week, together with the week before Christmas and Midsummer Week, is the week where sales in the grocery trade are increasing most. This is what the industry organization writes Swedish grocery store in a press release. Last year, sales increased by about 15 percent during Easter week. The week after Easter, sales went down by five percent.

– Sales for holidays such as Easter, Christmas and Midsummer are in many ways crucial for the grocery trade industry. The low price margins make the stores vulnerable if the sales volume goes down, says Karin Brynell.

During this year’s introductory Quarterly, the grocery trade has been characterized by an inflation.

– There is a general concern in our world and what you have seen in recent years is that people with a smaller wallet prioritize differently. During previous inflation periods, sales have gone down so there is also concern in the industry, says Karin Brynell.

Despite this, the Easter celebration is likely to be prioritized as holidays historically tend to increase consumption, says Karin Brynell. In 2023, sales during Easter week increased by 12 percent despite a stressed financial situation.

Figures from Swedish grocery store show that fresh seafood is the category that increases most during Easter as sales rise by 289 percent compared to a regular week. Which corresponds to an increase of SEK 126 million. Preserved fish, such as herring and anchovies, increase by 174 percent, equivalent to SEK 78 million.

During Easter week, eats Swedish households about 4,000 tonnes of eggs, which is almost twice as much as during a regular week. And unlike many other goods, the eggs have gone down in price. This is because for the first time in several years there is no shortage of eggs in Sweden before Easter. Egg prices in March were, according to Statistics Sweden, Statistics Sweden, one percent lower than the same month last year.

Chocolate sales also increase a lot during Easter. Last year, chocolate confectionery was sold for SEK 55 million more during Easter week compared to a normal week. The chocolate is one of the goods that has increased most in price before Easter and is about 30 percent more expensive than last year. The reason for this is the lack of cocoa in the world.

– Chocolate is such a category where you can think that people think it has become too expensive. However, for example, eggs have gone down in price, which is also a commodity whose sales tend to increase around holidays, says Karin Brynell.