Overall grocery market growth has slowed to a new record low of 0.3 per cent as price inflation falls to zero.
That's according to the latest grocery share figures from Kantar Worldpanel, published today for the 12 weeks ending 14 September 2014.
Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar Worldpanel, said: “Consumers are currently benefitting from intense price competition between the grocers. For the first time ever we’ve seen the average basket of everyday goods bought today costing exactly the same as it did a year ago.
'With some staple groceries such as vegetables, milk and bread, prices are actually falling as the big retailers all compete for a bigger slice of shoppers’ wallets. As a result the grocery market is currently growing by just 0.3 per cent, the lowest level since our market data was first compiled in 1993.
“Aldi has continued its run of double-digit growth, which now stretches back to February 2011, by recording a sales increase of 29.1 per cent compared with last year. Similarly, Lidl has increased sales by 17.7 per cent, showing that shoppers still have a strong appetite for the discount stores. At the other end of the market Waitrose has grown its sales faster than in previous months, up 4.5 per cent, which has brought its market share back up to 5.1 per cent.”
Asda recorded the best results among the big four supermarkets in the period the data covers. It was the only one of the major grocers to increase its market share, which is now at 17.4 per cent, and to see an uplift in its sales, which have grown 0.8 per cent compared with last year.
There is no sign yet of recovery at Tesco; sales are down 4.5 per cent, leaving its market share at 28.8 per cent. Morrisons’ market share remains under pressure, with sales down by 1.3 per cent, although the rate of decline has slowed considerably as its fresh food promotional voucher scheme has taken effect.
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