Supervalu has knocked Tesco off the top spot to become Ireland’s number one retailer, the latest figures from Kantar Worldpanel show.
The figures, for the 12 weeks ending November 8, show that Supervalu’s sales have grown 2.5% in that period.
This is the second time this year that Supervalu has been Ireland’s largest grocery retailer.
David Berry, Director at Kantar Worldpanel, said that the grocery market is arguably the most competitive retail sector and the latest figures emphasise this.
“The three biggest retailers are each within one percentage point of each other’s market share.
“Supervalu now occupies the top spot, having seen sales climb by 2.5% over the past 12 weeks, increasing its share of the market to 24.6%.
This is the strongest growth rate recorded by Supervalu since August 2013, which the retailer has achieved by encouraging more repeat shopping trips.
“The average consumer has visited the retailer on two additional occasions and spent an extra €16 over the past quarter when compared with last year,” Berry said.
Dunnes Stores continues its successful performance, with growth in value sales of 3.3%, attributable mainly to larger, more frequent shopping trips, according to Kantar.
Dublin has been a key source of growth for Dunnes and Kantar has said that it now stands as the number one retailer there.
Lidl maintains its position as the retailer with the strongest sales growth, and has been the only grocer to expand its customer base during the past 12 weeks, the figures show.
According to Kantar, the grocer has recruited more than 40,000 new shoppers this year, helping to grow sales by 11.2% and increase market share to 8.7%.
Like Dunnes, Lidl has drawn much of its success from expansion in the capital, Kantar figures show, having increased footfall in Dublin by 33,000 compared to last year.
Elsewhere, Aldi’s performance remains ahead of the overall market, with sales growth of 3.6% and market share increasing to 8.5%, Kantar states.
“Tesco continues to see a positive volume performance, with more items sold this year but at a lower price point, leading to a slight decline in value sales of 0.7%.
“Market share for Tesco has dipped to 24.1%, compared with 24.8% this time last year.
“With the prospect of a boost in consumer spending this Christmas, Tesco’s festive offer is sure to be geared towards regaining the top spot at such a vital time of year,” Berry said.
Image: Kantar Worldpanel