Supermarket sales dip as lockdown eases but remain above pre-pandemic levels People returned to buy more ready meals as they had less time to spend cooking, while mouthwash and shoe polish were in demand after socialising was allowed again Take-home grocery sales fell by 0.4% during the 12 weeks to 16 May 2021 as lockdown eased and people returned eating out. The decline was also due to exceptionally high sales during the first three months of the pandemic last year, Kantar said, though figures remain higher than pre-pandemic levels. Shoppers spent an additional £3.8bn at the supermarket in ...