UK shoppers buy more fruit and yoghurt in healthy start to 2026
Britons started 2026 by buying more healthy food such as fruit and yoghurt as they attempted to hit new year health goals, while grocery price inflation eased to the lowest level since April, research has shown.Annual grocery inflation fell back to 4% in the four weeks to 25 January from 4.7% in December, offering some relief for shoppers, according to a monthly snapshot of the grocery sector from the research company Worldpanel by Numerator.Consumers turned to healthy eating, it said, with sales volumes of fresh fruit and dried pulses up 6% year on year, while fresh fish was up 5%, poultry 3% and chilled yoghurt 4%.Cottage cheese sales jumped by 50% and it was bought by 2.
8 million households, 600,000 more than last year.Nearly a quarter of shoppers sought out high-protein foods and more than a quarter looked for high-fibre products.Fraser McKevitt, the Worldpanel head of retail and consumer insight, said: “Shoppers are actively seeking out foods that support their health goals, with strong demand for staples high in nutrients like protein and fibre.“While interest in seasonal diet-focused trends like Veganuary on the decline, shoppers are taking a more practical, balanced and achievable approach to healthy eating, built around foods already familiar to most households.”Waitrose reported on Monday that Dry January was not so dry after all.
“Move over Blue Monday, it’s all about ‘Damp Monday’,” said the upmarket grocer,This year, the January slump in alcohol sales ended early on 12 January, when shoppers started adding more wines, beers and spirits back into their baskets, with sales up 11% compared with the week before,As many shoppers cut back after record spending on groceries in December, in January they usually spend more on supermarkets’ own-label items, which tend to be cheaper than branded goods,This year, own-label accounted for 52,2% of grocery spending – the highest level recorded to date.
“For most shoppers, January is all about resetting household budgets, and this year was no exception” McKevitt said,“Value remained front of mind for many – with own-label hitting a record high, accounting for more than half of all grocery spend,”Spending on promotions also picked up pace,While not hitting the Christmas highs, it rose by 10,9% year on year, marking the fastest rate of growth since October 2024.
By contrast, full-price sales edged up by just 1.7% compared with the equivalent four weeks last year.The search for wellness was felt in the drinks aisle.Functional drinks, marketed around energy, gut health or mood enhancement, were bought by 11% of households, and spending was up by 13% year on year.McKevitt said it was notable how many people were willing to splash out on wellness, with functional drinks costing nearly four times as much as typical soft drinks at £4.
69 a litre,Take-home sales at the grocers grew by 3,8% in the four weeks, the same rate as in December,The German discounter Lidl was the fastest-growing physical chain again, with sales up 10,1% over the 12 weeks to 25 January, increasing its market share to 7.
7%.The online retailer Ocado fared well, with sales up 14.1%, raising its market share to 2.1%.Sainsbury’s and Tesco also notched up higher sales and market share gains, while Waitrose and Aldi held their market share.
The data showed Asda and the Co-op were the only supermarkets to record a drop in sales, of 3.7% and 1.6% respectively.
NFL looking into messages between Giants co-owner Steve Tisch and Jeffrey Epstein
The NFL says it is looking into links between New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.Tisch’s name was mentioned more than 400 times in emails relating to Epstein that were released by the US justice department last week. Tisch has never been charged with any crime connected to the investigation into Epstein.“The league is aware of the reports and Steve’s response. Our office will look into the matter to understand the facts,” the NFL said in a statement on Monday
Australia to face debutants Hong Kong in opening match of 2027 Rugby World Cup
The 2027 World Cup will get off to a low-key start with Australia kicking off against Hong Kong after the organisers opted against beginning the tournament with the Wallabies’ blockbuster pool fixture against New Zealand. When Australia were drawn in the same pool as their arch-rivals in December it was widely expected that such a mouth-watering fixture would raise the curtain on the tournament.However, with the first match taking place on Australia’s west coast in Perth on 1 October, organisers have opted to pit Hong Kong – competing at their first World Cup – against the Wallabies in what is sure to be a one-sided affair. The opening weekend of the tournament features just one fixture involving two tier-one nations – South Africa against Italy.Australia’s fixture against the All Blacks will take place on the second weekend of the tournament in Sydney, where a bigger stadium will maximise exposure
Pakistan boycott shows growing divide between cricket’s commercial needs and political reality | Taha Hashim
The announcement on Sunday, fittingly, was made by Pakistan’s government, a reminder that this episode goes well beyond a game of cricket. In a post on X, the government approved the national side’s participation at this month’s T20 World Cup, but with a significant caveat.“The Pakistan cricket team shall not take the field in the match scheduled on 15 February 2026 against India,” read the statement. The disintegration of this global tournament continues, that one line prompting serious concern for the sport’s economy. No further explanation was provided
Steve Borthwick asks for England fans’ roar in support of grieving Maro Itoje
Steve Borthwick has called on England supporters to give Maro Itoje “the roar he deserves” when he comes off the bench in his side’s Six Nations opener against Wales on Saturday.Borthwick has taken the decision to omit Itoje from the starting lineup after his captain missed the start of England’s training camp in Girona to attend his mother’s funeral in Nigeria. Jamie George assumes the role of which he was stripped when Itoje was handed the captaincy 12 months ago, while Borthwick has handed a first start since the 2023 World Cup to the in-form winger Henry Arundell and selected Tommy Freeman at outside centre.Itoje has played every minute of England’s past six Six Nations campaigns and has been used as a replacement only three times in his 97 appearances. His record in the Six Nations is all the more remarkable and the only other time he has been used as a replacement was on his debut in 2016, going on to start 44 of the next 48 matches after missing four in 2019 because of injury
Top players reject offer to have greater say in running of major tennis championships
The tennis pay row has escalated further with the world’s top 10 male and female players rejecting an offer from the grand slams to set up a player council that would give them a greater say in the running of the major championships.In correspondence sent to Wimbledon, the French Open and US Open last week, the players turned down the offer of a meeting with representatives of the three grand slams at the Indian Wells Masters in March and accused the tournament organisers of ignoring their concerns about pay and player welfare.“Before committing to another meeting, it would be more productive for the grand slams to provide substantive responses, individually or collectively, to the specific proposals the players have put forward regarding prize money at a fair share of grand slam revenues, and player health, welfare, and benefits contributions,” the letter states.The players have been lobbying for a greater share of the money made by those organising the grand slam championships since last year’s French Open when a delegation, including Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka and Coco Gauff, urged executives from all four tournaments to increase their prize funds to 22% of revenue by 2030, which would be in line with ATP and WTA Tour events.Alcaraz will receive AUS$2
Leopardstown success shows Dublin Racing Festival is galloping past Cheltenham on value
Michael O’Leary, the chief executive of Ryanair, had two reasons to be cheerful after the Irish Champion Hurdle at the Dublin Racing Festival (DRF) at Leopardstown on Sunday. His seven-year-old mare, Brighterdaysahead, had just won the feature race and she was cheered back to the winner’s enclosure by a sellout crowd that included several thousand visiting racegoers from Britain. “The Dublin Racing Festival has been a great success and certainly it’s the first time you’ve seen a lot of English people coming over for the racing,” O’Leary said. “It’s a great festival in its own right and they’re all very welcome. I hope they flew Ryanair
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