UK: TNS highlights strong growth at Morrisons

By: just-food.com | 1 June 2007

UK retailer Morrisons has posted its best sales growth since the Safeway takeover, according to the latest grocery market share data released by TNS Worldpanel.

For the 12 weeks to 20 May, Morrisons saw growth of 5%, TNS said. The analysts said that the Morrisons figures come ahead of the retailer's recently announced revamp, which is yet to come into action.

Meanwhile, Asda and Sainsbury's both posted year-on-year growth of 8%. Tesco's growth during the period was marginally lower at 7%.

However, it is not good news across the board for UK retailers. Kwik Save, who announced the closure of one third of its stores this week, continued to lose market share. The struggling grocery retailer now accounts for just 0.2% of the grocery market.

"The share loss at Kwik Save, however, is larger than the share gains displayed by the discounters (Aldi, Lidl, Netto) which implies that we are unlikely to emulate Germany with a wholesale move to discount shopping," TNS director of research Edward Garner said.

Companies: Morrisons, Safeway, Kwik Save, Asda, Tesco, Aldi