UK: Tesco, Sainsbury increase market share, Asda, Morrison down

By just-food.com | 6 May 2005

Supermarket Tesco further increased its lead in the UK grocery market in the twelve weeks to 24 April 2005, according to market analysts TNS. Sainsbury managed a small rise, while Wal-Mart's Asda and Morrison both saw falls.

Tesco's share of the market was 29.8%, compared with 27.5% in the same period a year ago. Sainsbury sales rose to 15.9% of the market from 15.5%.

Asda's market share fell to 16.5% from 16.6% a year ago. The total for Morrison and the Safeway chain, which it has taken over, was 12.2%, compared with 14.4%. The Morrison share of the market rose to 8.3% from 6.2% while Safeway's share fell to 3.9% from 8.2%.

The recovery in the Sainsbury market share builds on the positive picture already established," said Edward Garner, communications director of TNS Superpanel. "This strong performance has been achieved in the face of relentless pressure from Tesco, which continues its recent run of double-digit turnover growth."

"Against this competitive background Asda has actually suffered a small loss of share and this underlines the fact that their growth has noticeably slowed from the levels seen last year," he said "Elsewhere, the growth of the Morrisons fascia continues although, as before, this is more than negated by the decline of Safeway.

Companies: Tesco, Morrison, Asda, Safeway, Wal-Mart