'One-in-ten' shoppers stockpiling food ahead of Brexit

One-in-ten shoppers claim to be stockpiling food in case of disruption to supplies in the event of a no-deal Brexit, according to a respected grocery sector report.

Kantar Worldpanel, which compiles market share and price data for the industry, said a further 26% of consumers who responded to its online survey were considering whether to hoard essential supplies ahead of the current 29 March deadline for the UK to leave the EU.

The wider report pointed to sales growth at all the major chains, except Sainsbury's, during the 12 weeks to 24 February.

But it cautioned that Brexit uncertainty and preparations by customers were yet to show any real impact as overall grocery volumes were flat on recent months, with hard-to-stockpile fresh and chilled foods making up 39% of the value of the average shopping basket.

It said grocery inflation - the pace of price rises in the sector - stood at 1.4% in the period.

The report noted inflationary pressure from cola, crisps and vegetables as the cost of instant coffee, fresh sausages and fresh bacon fell.

The data was released as a string of business surveys note stockpiling at record levels amid continued Brexit fog.

A closely-watched activity report last Friday showed that UK factories were preparing for possible supply chain delays by building reserves at the fastest rate since the early 1990s .

Retail has not been immune - with extra storage booked up to handle any supply imbalances.

In the grocery sector, Tesco and M&S revealed in January how they were storing additional long-life products as fresh items prove more problematic.

A rival study by Nielsen suggested growth in shoppers' spending slowed to 2.5% in February from 3.3% last month, with consumers spending less per visit as Brexit had sparked increased caution.

Mike Watkins, its head of retailer insight, said: "Over the last four weeks, the average spend per visit has fallen £16.30 from £16.70 this time last year, down 2%, as a result of the resurgence of 'little and often' shopping behaviour but also due to price cutting by supermarkets."