Aldi, Lidl and Waitrose post record shares as grocery market continues to polarise
Latest grocery share figures for the 12 weeks ending 9 June show Aldi, Lidl and Waitrose all stealing market share from the big four retailers as the market continues polarise.
Figures released by Kantar Worldpanel reveal that Aldi posted sales growth of 29.9% to achieve an all-time record market share of 3.6% in the period. Waitrose and Lidl both held on to their record shares of 4.9% and 3% respectively with Waitrose posting growth of 10.4% – well over three times the market average.
The performances by Aldi, Lidl and Waitrose have enabled them to exert continued pressure on the big four retailers with Tesco, Asda and Morrisons all seeing a dip in their market share. Sainsbury’s was the only big four retailer to buck the trend by increasing its share to 16.7% and posting sales growth of 3.5%.
Although Morrisons’ share continued to decline in the period, the loss was the lowest for 2013 and marks a small underlying improvement for the grocer.
Fraser McKevitt, retail analyst at Kantar Worldpanel, said: “The continuing polarisation of the grocery market poses a difficult question for the big four retailers – how to make their offer appealing in an increasingly squeezed market. Asda recently announced it is going toe-to-toe with Aldi on the price of fresh food and produce, demonstrating its growing concern with the threat from the discounter.
“Savvy shoppers are looking for a good deal, but Britain’s largest supermarkets should not lose sight of the other attributes consumers are looking for in their grocer – quality products, clear provenance and an enjoyable in-store experience. The big four will have to keep an eye on maintaining these standards, even when competing on price, to make sure that they offer genuine value for money and not just cheap goods.”
