Lidl is now the UK’s fifth-biggest supermarket in terms of food and drink sales, overtaking Morrisons.
According to Worldpanel data seen by trade publication The Grocer, the discounter’s share of sales of fresh, chilled and ambient groceries, but excluding alcohol, household, toiletries and healthcare, was 7.7% over the year to 13 July, compared with Morrisons’ 7.6%.
The report said that Lidl’s food and drink share had risen from 7.3% in the previous 52 weeks, after its sales grew by 10.1%. In contrast, Morrisons’ food and drink share has fallen from 7.8% after its sales only rose by 1.5%.
The Grocer noted that the food and drink figures are different to those included in Worldpanel’s monthly published market update, which covers all expenditure through store tills, excluding petrol and in-store concessions.
Those figures show Morrisons narrowly retaining its lead, with a market share of 8.4% over the 12 weeks to 13 July, compared with Lidl’s 8.3%, which was a record for the discounter after another strong period of growth.
The report said that Lidl is likely to overtake Morrisons in those numbers in the new year, given its expansion plans. The discounter recently revealed that it will open its 1,000th store in the UK this November, 31 years after making its market debut.
Responding to the figures published by The Grocer’s, a spokesperson for Morrisons is quoted as saying: “The numbers are partly a function of new supermarket openings, where we haven’t added new space for some time, and the survey doesn’t capture all of the growth we are seeing in convenience and wholesale, and our Myton manufacturing business.”
A spokesperson for Worldpanel added: “We do not publish retailer market share data for select categories. Our grocery market share release provides a full view of grocers’ performance, including all expenditure through store tills except petrol and in-store concessions.”
NamNews Implications:
- Overtaking Morrisons’ share of sales of fresh, chilled and ambient groceries will not go unnoticed where it matters.
- Especially in Lidl and Morrisons organisations.
- With the likelihood of Lidl overtaking in the headline market share numbers in 2026, Morrisons will have a cause of even greater concern.
- At which point, suppliers may begin to weigh their options regarding the relative levels of investment in either retailer.
- A pointer for all…
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