All of the major Irish supermarkets have grown sales for the sixth period in a row, according to the latest grocery market share figures from Kantar Worldpanel.
Published today, the figures relate to the 12-week period which ended on August 12, 2018.
Despite retailers continuing to jostle for market share, grocers have all benefited from the “spike in consumer spending as shoppers splash out more during the warm weather”, consumer insight director at Kantar Worldpanel Douglas Faughnan said.
It’s been a summer of indulgence for customers. Alcohol is continuing to boom – overall sales of beer, wine and cider are up 10%. Ice cream is also up by a third compared to this time last year – equivalent to an extra €10 million – and soft drinks sales have jumped by 13%.
“The August bank holiday provided the retailers with another opportunity to cash in, with targeted advertisements and promotional activity directing customers towards specific categories – such as fresh meat, fruit and vegetables and branded treats,” he added.
‘Fastest growing Irish retailer’
According to the latest figures, Tesco is the fastest growing of the Irish retailers for the seventh consecutive period – with sales up 4.8% compared to this time last year. It now holds a market share of 22.4%.
It is the only one of the three major retailers to witness a further decline in the average price paid per item, but this has been counteracted by shoppers spending more overall, Kantar explained.
Meanwhile, SuperValu holds a market share of 22% and saw its sales rise by 2.4% in the most recent 12-week period.
Coming in as the third most popular retailer, Dunnes held a market share of 20.9%; its sales were up 1.9% compared to the same period last year.
Meanwhile, Lidl maintained its market share of 11.9% and recorded a boost in sales of 1.9% versus the corresponding period last year. Aldi, marginally increased its market share to 11.5% and saw its sales rise by 2.9% during the 12-week period.