Discount supermarkets Aldi and Lidl are continuing to grow their share of the UK grocery market as more hard-pressed shoppers seek to reduce their food shopping bills.
New figures from market research firm Kantar Worldpanel show that Aldi achieved a 20.2 per cent rise in market share to 3.5 per cent in the 12 weeks to 10 July, while rival retailer Lidl grew its share by 15.6 per cent to 2.6 per cent, meaning the two now account for 6.1 per cent of total grocery market sales .
The next best performer was Waitrose, which saw its slice of the market increase by 9 per cent to 4.3 per cent. The market as a whole grew by 4.6 per cent, just behind the 4.8 per cent rate of grocery inflation over the 12-week period.
Out of the ‘big four’ supermarket groups, Morrisons recorded the biggest growth, with sales at its grocery stores rising 5.6 per cent to give it a share of 11.9 per cent.
Commenting on the data, Kantar Worldpanel director Martin Whittingham, said: “The increasing polarisation of the grocery market looks set to stay as consumers turn to the discounters to cut their budgets while others continue to spend in Waitrose .”
“This divergence seems to be reflective of some contrasting lifestyles in the UK at the moment.”
