UK grocery sales jumped by 9.3% during the 12 weeks to November 1 as record numbers of Britons shopped online but there was little sign of panic buying ahead of the second lockdown.
That's according to the latest supermarket data from Kantar, which found "limited evidence" of stockpiling despite the two-week firebreak in Wales and the new lockdown in England.
It showed sales increased by 9.4% in the most recent four weeks, similar to the overall 9.3% rise in the quarter, which took overall grocery spend to £29.4 million.
But shoppers rushed to snap up Christmas gifts ahead of the four-week lockdown, with Kantar revealing toy and entertainment stores more than doubled their share of pre-Covid footfall between Monday to Wednesday last week.
Kantar revealed a record-breaking 5.9 million people bought groceries online last month, while internet shopping hit its highest ever level in Wales in the second week of the country's "firebreak" lockdown, accounting for 16.2% of the market.
It added that Welsh shoppers increased their spending by an average of £10 during the week when the lockdown came into effect.
Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, said: "While there was some uplift in Wales, the increased spending did not provide any evidence of stockpiling, and initial figures suggest no sign of panic buying in England either.
"But one thing is always front of mind at this time of year - Christmas - and it seems many people sought to get ahead with gift buying before stores closed."
Supermarkets have stepped up their efforts to head off a second wave of panic buying ahead of the new lockdown in England.
Tesco and Morrisons intriduced maximum buying limits for key items, while numbers in store are also being restricted.
Sainsbury's reminded customers to shop alone wherever possible in a bid to cut queues and aid social distancing inside its stores.
Tesco asked that "only one person from each household comes in-store to do their shopping".
Waitrose is also encouraging shoppers to visit alone.
