Basket size up 12% for local stores in final quarter of 2021

The number of items per basket rose to 4.25 per visit, up 12% on the previous quarter, said the company, which monitors 28,000 convenience stores.

Cold remedies sales shot up by more than 90% as colds became more common; there was a 13% increase in sales of food-to-go; a 12% jump in groceries; while household items such as lavatory roll and cleaning products rose 10%.

Individual products that made the top 12 seller list included Cadbury’s choc mini rolls; Cabico tortillas wraps; Utterly Butterly; Youngs fish fingers; Lucozade; and two types of Halls lozenges.

Anthony Sappor, Paypoint’s head of retail proposition and partnerships, said: “Throughout winter, people nationwide continued to shop locally and support their nearby convenience stores.

“An increase in the number of items purchased per convenience store shows that despite the numerous benefits of shopping online, it’s the UK’s convenience store sectors that Brits continue to rely on for many of the day-to-day purchases.”