Pancake Tuesday and Valentine's Day helped to boost sales at supermarkets across the country last month according to a new report today (Monday, March 9).

Research from Worldpanel by Numerator shows take home supermarket sales increased by 4.8% in the four weeks to February 22, 2026 compared with the same time last year.

Although sales may have grown shoppers are "feeling the pinch" according to Eimear Faughnan, head of retail for Ireland at Worldpanel by Numerator.

But the combined impact of Pancake Tuesday, Valentine’s Day and the Six Nations Championship in February still saw shoppers stock up on their food and drink favourites the latest research shows.

Supermarket sales

According to Faughnan, spending across popular products associated with Valentine’s Day increased across the board over the four weeks.

Value growth in confectionery chocolate increased by 21.5%, champagne and sparkling wine by 15.8%, and wine by 31.3%.

However the latest research suggests that there is a rising focus on health and wellbeing as "low-and no-alcohol options" continue to gain momentum.

Meanwhile sales of pancake ingredients featured heavily in shopping baskets during February.

Worldpanel by Numerator highlighted that shoppers embraced sweet toppings with lemons, berries, and dessert sauces including salted caramel, ice cream, and maple syrup toppings all proving a hit for Pancake Tuesday.

The latest research also shows that demand for convenience was also evidenced, with 15% of households buying pre-made pancakes and spending more than €400,000 on the category during February compared to the previous month. 

Supermarkets

When it comes to supermarket sector, Dunnes continues to hold the lead with a 24.5% share over the 12 weeks to 22 February.

Dunnes recruited new shoppers to stores which was worth an additional €30 million to the supermarket group.

Meanwhile, Tesco’s share increased by 0.3 percentage points in the latest period, growing ahead of the market at 6.7% and taking its share to 24.2%.  

SuperValu saw 0.5% value growth, with 19.5% share and increased footfall which helped to deliver an additional €33 million to its sales, while Aldi grew by 1.4%.

Lidl was the only retailer to increase its volumes, up 2.9% compared to the same period last year.