Aldi and Waitrose supermarkets see sales rise

WAITROSE and Aldi have built on their record share of the grocery market as shopping habits continue to be driven by “austerity and provenance”, industry figures reveal.

The latest Kantar Worldpanel figures for the 12 weeks to 17 March show further market polarisation, with Waitrose growing sales by 12.5 per cent, year-on-year, and extending its market share to 4.8 per cent, from 4.4 per cent a year earlier.

Budget chain Aldi’s sales were up 30.8 per cent, boosting its share from 2.6 per cent a year ago to 3.3 per cent. Tesco is still the market leader, although lacklustre growth of 1.1 per cent – less than the grocery market as a whole – means its share is down to 29.4 per cent from 30.2 per cent.

Sainsbury’s is the clear winner among the “big four” supermarkets, with year-on-year growth of 6.2 per cent ahead of total market growth of 3.9 per cent, taking its share to 16.9 per cent from 16.6 per cent.

The figures cover a period of low wage growth and rising inflation and as shoppers grapple with the fall-out from the industry’s horsemeat scandal. Fraser McKevitt, retail analyst at Kantar Worldpanel, said: “Austerity and provenance are the key factors behind the varying retailer performances this month. Continued pressure on household budgets has helped Aldi, Lidl and Iceland to record market- beating growths while Waitrose and Sainsbury’s have managed to mostly avoid adverse media coverage from the horse meat scandal.”

Lidl’s sales grew by 10.5 per cent in the period, taking its market share to 2.9 per cent, while Iceland grew by 8.7 per cent, with a market share of 2.1 per cent.