The latest Kantar Worldpanel grocery share figures published on Tuesday for the 12 weeks ended 7 July 2013 show that the 'big four' supermarkets continue to face pressure as a result of 'long-term market polarization', according to Kantar.
Of the 'big four' - Tesco (30.1%), Asda (17.0%), Sainsbury's (16.5%) and Morrisons (11.7%) - just Sainsbury's managed to hold onto its market share position, recording sales growth of 3.8%, which came in ahead of overall market growth of 3.7%.
Lidl now holds a market share of 3.1%, an all-time high for the discounter, while Aldi retains its share of 3.6%, which it seized during the last 12-week period of analysis. Waitrose recorded a strong growth rate of 10.9% - almost three times the market average - holding a 4.8% market share.
Commenting on the recent success of Lidl, Aldi and Waitrose, Edward Garner, director at Kantar Worldpanel, commented, “Waitrose, Aldi and Lidl have all been hugely successful in recent years, growing well ahead of the market average. Together, these retailers now account for 11.5% of the grocery market, 3.2 percentage points more than they did this time four years ago."
He added, "This trend has cut deeply into the available market share for the bigger retailers who are now having to compete for a contracting middle ground.”
© 2013 - ESM: European Supermarket Magazine by Ellen Lunney
