The latest TNS Worldpanel grocery market share figures, for the 12 weeks ending September 7, confirm the picture seen in the last period, with shoppers responding to strong low-price messages.
Total grocery turnover grew by 7.3 per cent compared with the same 12-week spell in 2007. This, however, hides the fact that volumes are largely static, with inflation fuelling the sterling sales.
Once again, younger, larger families are responding to the squeeze on their housekeeping by driving discounter turnovers up sharply, with Aldi and Lidl posting increases of 20.8 per cent and 11.1 per cent respectively.
Similarly, Iceland’s “75p Freezer Essentials” campaign is producing market-beating growth of 12.9 per cent. “A consumer re-evaluation of the benefits of frozen foods will also have helped,” said Ed Garner, director of research at TNS Worldpanel.
For the Top 4, trends continue largely as before with more than nine per cent growth for Asda and Morrisons and small share dips for Tesco and Sainsbury’s. Garner said: “It’s worth noting that in terms of 12-weekly till roll shares, 17.3 per cent is a record for Asda.” Tesco’s 12-week share was 31.5 per cent, Sainsbury’s 15.8 per cent and Morrisons 11 per cent.
“In the current climate it is perhaps inevitable that Waitrose have come under pressure,” he added, “with growth held back to 3.2 per cent year-on-year resulting in the share dipping by 0.1 points to 3.8 per cent.”
