Tesco maintains Irish dominance

TESCO HAS solidified its position as the dominant player in the Irish supermarket sector according to the latest data from Kantar Worldpanel, with almost 29 per cent of market share.

Figures for the 12-week period ended September 30th show the British retailer increased its market share to 28.6 per cent up from 27.8 per cent a year ago.

However, budget grocer Aldi enjoyed the greatest increase in market share in percentage terms, in the process overtaking Superquinn in terms of its percentage of the market.

While the Irish-owned retailer saw its market share slip from 5.7 per cent in September 2011 to 5.5 per cent last month, Aldi increased its market share by 30 per cent over the same period, increasing its share of the Irish grocery market to 6 per cent at the end of September, up from 4.6 per cent the previous year.

The German-headquartered company is now the fifth player in the market, slightly trailing Lidl, which holds 6.6 per cent of the Irish grocery trade.

While Dunnes Stores remained the second-biggest player in the Irish grocery sector behind Tesco, its market share slipped during the year, declining from 23.3 per cent to 21.6 per cent at the end of last month, representing a drop of 7.8 per cent.

The third-largest retailer in terms of market share was SuperValu, which grew market share from 19.4 per cent to 19.7 per cent during the period.

The figures show that Musgrave, which controls SuperValu and acquired Superquinn last year, now controls just over 25 per cent of the Irish grocery market through its two supermarket chains.

A combination of other retail players, including Centra, Spar and Marks Spencer accounted for 12.1 per cent of the overall market, down from 12.8 per cent the previous year.

According to Kantar, the value of the Irish grocery market overall fell by 0.5 per cent in the 12-week period to the end of September, despite the fact that grocery inflation stood at 2.6 per cent during the same period, according to its research.

David Berry, commercial director at Kantar Worldpanel in Ireland, said the trend shows shoppers are continuing to keep close control over their spending, while consumers are also choosing to shop more often for fewer items.

He also highlighted an increase in the sale of alcohol by grocery retailers.

“While the grocery market as a whole remains subdued, there are still some areas that are performing well,” Mr Berry said. “Sales of alcohol at the grocers have grown by 8 per cent this quarter, showing that staying in and having a drink is an increasingly popular choice for those of us who are on a budget.”

Kantar Worldpanel Ireland monitors the household grocery purchasing habits of 3,000 households in the Republic of Ireland. Surveys are undertaken every four weeks.