A trolley jolly Christmas

But cost of living fears as stamp prices to rise

- DANNY DE VAAL

SHOPPERS splurged a record-breaking €1.5 billion on Christmas groceries in December 2025 with an average spend of €770 over 23 shopping trips.

Take-home grocery sales surged by 6% in the four weeks leading up to December 28th, as families got in the festive mood despite the cost of living squeeze.

With the inflation rate ticking up to 6.25%, consumers still managed to pump an extra €83.5 million into the grocery tills.

The peak shopping frenzy hit on Tuesday, December 23rd, when daily sales soared past €107 million, setting an all-time record for a single day's spend.

Emer Healy, Business Development Director at Worldpanel by Numerator, noted the commitment of consumers, saying: “In December, we saw shoppers return to store more often and on average make 23 trips in-store to pick up Christmas essentials.

“Irish shoppers spent on average €770 at supermarkets during the festive period, an additional €32 compared to 2024.”

The festive indulgence was palpable across the aisles. Shoppers spent an extra €6.6 million on seasonal chocolates and biscuits, proving sweet treats remain nonnegotiable.