• Vaping and tobacco category saw the steepest falls, with Elf Bar (-£139.3m) continuing to be the biggest overall declining product in the survey
• Fresh fruit was the fastest growing category in 2025, with strawberries, blueberries and grapes among the year's fastest growing products in terms of value sales
• Meat-free continued to lose shoppers and was among the fastest falling categories (-£23.2m) as flexitarian consumers shifted to traditional proteins
• Inflation continued to influence category performance masking volume declines in some areas and intensifying falls in others

London, 13 December 2025: Healthier choices, hot weather and the rising cost of living played pivotal roles in shaping UK grocery sales this year.

Cigarettes & cigars, rolling tobacco and vapes were the biggest losers, NIQ data for The Grocer's Top Products Survey 2025 shows. They shed volumes faster than any other grocery category, resulting in a combined year-on-year loss of just over £1bn. For the second year running the fastest falling grocery product was vaping brand Elf Bar (-£139.3m). It was followed by Lost Mary (-£72m) and SKE Crystal (-£66.5m), signalling a clear drop in the popularity of vaping - a trend further enhanced by the ban on disposable vapes

At the same time, NIQ data shows smoking cessation was the year's fastest growing category in volume terms - up 23.8%, or 12.4 million extra packs. That translated to a gain of £104m.

More evidence of Brits taking better care of themselves could be seen in alcohol, where lager, table wine and spirits all shed volumes and lost £233.1m in value sales between them. Their decline may also be linked to inflation, however. Higher prices caused many shoppers to avoid the booze aisle. And even with the UK's hottest summer on record the biggest casualties in the category were lager brands San Miguel (-£50.4m), Fosters (-£43.4m) and Carling (-£41.0m).

The meat-free category also struggled. Concerns about ultra-processed foods contributed to a £23.2m decline for the category, making it one of the year's biggest losers in absolute value terms. This decline reflected the ongoing shifting spend of flexitarian shoppers back into animal-based proteins, with poultry (+£218.7m), cheese (+£216.2m) and eggs (+£199.8m) among the products to register the biggest increases in value sales in 2025, although some of the gains were the result of inflation

The biggest inflation was felt in confectionery, where chocolate was 10.8% dearer per average kilo - due to the soaring cost of cocoa. Those higher shelf prices resulted in a £542.5m increase in value sales but those higher prices were not without consequence as 11.5 million fewer kilos of chocolate went through retailers' tills.

In contrast the £580.4m increase in sales of fruit - the biggest in absolute terms, NIQ data shows - were supported by a significant 4.3% uplift in volume sales. Berries were key to increased consumption: strawberries (+£125m), blueberries (+£101.3m) and grapes (+£72.8m) were among the top 10 fastest-growing products.

Their performances were the result of ideal growing conditions, record temperatures - including the hottest summer on record - and a renewed focus on health, with 33% of consumers citing it as their top concern during the summer.

Strong sales were also seen in morning goods & specialty breads (+£245.4m) as shoppers sought out more expensive but healthier sourdough and specialty products. Demand buoyed newer brands such as Jason's Sourdough (+£42.4m) but had a negative effect on longstanding makers of conventional packaged bread (-£64.4m). It was among the year's 10 fastest-falling categories, with Kingsmill (-£33.9m) experiencing one of the steepest value declines among brands.

Sports & energy drinks also maintained strong year-on-year momentum. The category benefited from sustained demand and continued interest in functional beverages. Red Bull (+£124.4m), Monster (+£115.0m) and Lucozade (+£65.1m) were among the top 10 fastest growing products of the year. However, after experiencing huge sales growth in 2023 following its social media-fuelled launch, sales of Prime (-£58.4m) fell sharply as consumer interest normalised. The brand sold 12.3 million fewer litres.

Beef (+£417.7m) also delivered another strong year - but it was inflation-driven as prices continued to rise. Volumes were down 700 thousand kilos. In the wider meat, fish & poultry category, salmon (+£85.3m) was among the standout products. Volume sales rose by 7.5% (4.6 million kilos) as more Brits turned to fish, largely for its health benefits.

Fastest-Growing Grocery Categories 2025 Vs Fastest-Falling Grocery Categories 2025

Fastest-Growing Grocery Categories 2025 Vs Fastest-Falling Grocery Categories 2025