Sales of marmalade rose in September as the nation paid tribute to the Queen. The popular citrus preserve gained an association with the late monarch thanks to her appearance in a sketch alongside Paddington Bear.
And it appears many shoppers in the UK marked the Queen's passing by buying a jar of marmalade. Sales were up by 18% in September, figures from market researcher Kantar show.
In the Paddington sketch, which was made to mark the Platinum Jubilee earlier this year, the Queen revealed while having tea with the bear that she keeps a marmalade sandwich in her handbag. After her death last month, a number of marmalade sandwiches were left alongside floral tributes outside royal residences.
The rise in marmalade sales came amid a backdrop of changing habits as people adjust to the cost-of-living crisis. Shoppers are now paying an average of £643 more on groceries than last year after inflation hit 13.9% over September.
Kantar's data showed many are embracing wonky fruit and vegetables as an apparent way to offset the rise, with collective sales of ranges including Tesco Perfectly Imperfect and Morrisons Naturally Wonky up 38% over the month. Meanwhile sales of supermarket own-label products increased by 8.1% this month,
And there are signs people are trying to limit their energy use, too. Sales of cooking appliances including slow cookers, air fryers and sandwich makers, which generally use less energy, are up by 53%.
Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, said: “The cost-of-living crisis is still hitting people hard at the checkouts and this latest data will make tough reading for many. Of course, consumers are looking for ways to manage budgets and to avoid paying more for their shopping.
"We’re generally reluctant to change what we eat, so this is more about sticking to the food we know and love while hunting for cheaper alternatives like supermarkets’ own label goods. We aren’t seeing dramatic evidence of diets changing.
"For example, while frozen veg sales have gone up slightly, there hasn’t been a big switch away from fresh products, which are still worth 10 times more. However, one standout from the data this month was the surge in marmalade sales by 18% as the nation paid its respects to the Queen.”
