Sainsbury’s has clocked up its biggest rise in market share in more than a decade as it fights back against discounters Aldi and Lidl.
Figures from industry research group Kantar showed Sainsbury’s now accounts for 15.6 per cent of grocery spending, up from 15.2 per cent a year ago.
This was its biggest gain since 2013 and came amid booming demand for its Taste the Difference range, where sales rose 23 per cent.
Tesco increased its market share – to 27.5 per cent in the 12 weeks to November 26 from 27.2 per cent in the same period last year – as Britain’s two biggest supermarkets won back customers from discounters.
But Asda and Morrisons continue to lose out in the wake of their private equity takeovers.
Figures from industry research group Kantar showed Sainsbury’s now accounts for 15.6 per cent of grocery spending, up from 15.2 per cent a year ago
Supermarkets are embroiled in a bitter price war with competition hotting up ahead of Christmas.
However, overall prices are still 9.1 per cent higher than a year ago, though sharply down on the 17.5 per cent level hit earlier in the year.
‘The retailers are also battling it out to offer value to consumers during this important month for trading,’ said Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar.
Sainsbury’s has stepped up its fight and now has around 400 products in its Aldi price match scheme.
McKevitt said: ‘Its growth was driven in no small part by the continued success of its own-label offer.’
Aldi, which booted Morrisons off its spot as the fourth-biggest grocer more than a year ago, has seen its market share hit 9.6 per cent, and Lidl accounts for 7.8 per cent of spending.
But woes for the two grocers under private equity ownership – Morrisons and Asda –continued.
Morrisons has 8.7 per cent of the market while Asda has seen its share fall from 14 per cent to 13.4 per cent in the past year.
