Cross-border alcohol sales to increase again?
General footfall levels in Northern Ireland stores and supermarkets appear to be on the rise again, confirming fears that cross-border trading could once more become a major issue for retailers here in the run-up to Christmas.
Footfall levels in Northern Ireland rose by 3.7 per cent in August and by the same amount again in September according to market analysts Experian.
At the same time, Experian data shows that footfall figures in RoI declined four per cent year-on-year to September.
In arriving at its footfall data, Experian makes use of a measurement device put into shopping centres and stores around the UK and Ireland which physically measures people going into and out of retail outlets.
The Experian data was published as other sources indicate that Sainsburys and Asda are once again showing growth in the number of shoppers visiting from the Republic. Sainsburys and Asda in NI are once again showing growth in the number of shoppers visiting from the Republic, claims Kantar Worldpanel whose figures for the 12 weeks to October 3rd indicate that the two NI multiples were responsible for taking 2.1 per cent of the total €9 billion RoI take-home grocery market in the quarter. This figure compares to 2.3 per cent for last October.
Kantar Worldpanle makes use of a continuous household panel of 3,000 RoI contributors who make use of in-home barcode scanners so that KP can track where their shopping is coming from. It can track outlet brands including Sainsburys and Asda in NI.
With the €uro now worth 87 pence and with Christmas in prospect alongside a severe Budget in forecast, footfall figures there are likely to rise again over the next few weeks, especially as the 7th December Budget allows consumers two-and-a-half weeks’ trading before the 25th. As such, it is feared that severe budget cuts will push shoppers back to Northern Ireland to stock up before the seasonal holidays en masse.
