Proactive Investors - Asda's market share fell further towards Aldi in the three months to September as Tesco PLC (LON:TSCO) and J Sainsbury PLC (LON:SBRY) increased their leading positions.
Figures from Kantar showed that declining sales at Asda meant its market share fell from 13.7% to 12.6% year on year over the 12 weeks to September 29.
This meant discounter Aldi saw its gap to the UK’s third-largest supermarket narrow further, despite its market share dipping from 9.9% to 9.8%.
Sales at Asda dipped by 5.1% over the period, reflecting the retailer’s ongoing struggles, as these increased at five of the UK’s six largest supermarkets.
These included Lidl, Morrisons and Aldi, as the two largest, Tesco and Sainsbury’s, saw their market share increase further to 28.0% and 16.2% respectively on higher sales.
Kantar retail insight head Fraser McKevitt noted: “In the fiercely competitive retail sector, the battle for value is on.
“Supermarkets are doing what they can to keep costs down for consumers,” he added, “with spending still stretched”.
Unusually wet weather had buoyed sales of “classic warming staples” into September, McKevitt continued, including hot chocolate, soup and baking goods.
Over the four weeks to September 29, Kantar reported supermarket inflation increased by 2.0%, against 1.7% in the previous month.