Ireland’s grocery sales have increased in the last three months, Kantar Worldpanel has revealed, although the analyst firm remains cautious about the sector’s prospects.
Sales inched up 0.1% in the 12 weeks to 28 October, Kantar said today (12 November). However, grocery inflation in Ireland stands at 4.1%, indicating volumes fell during the period.
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Kantar commercial director David Berry said the increase in sales was a “good sign” but insisted the sector was “not out of the woods just yet”.
He said: “Many grocery retailers are still struggling. Shoppers are continuing to watch their purse strings, buying fewer groceries per trip but shopping more often. They are also spreading their spend across a broader spectrum of stores, meaning that it is a challenge for the grocers to drive sales growth.”
Aldi, Berry said, “continues to be the stand-out performer”. The German discounter’s Irish sales increased 30% in the period, with its share of the market up from 4.7% a year ago to a record 6.1%. “A key feature of its success is its ability to bring in new shoppers, with 70,000 more through the door this year, while also encouraging them to come back more often,” Berry said.
Aldi’s discount rival Lidl upped its share of the market from 6.3% to 6.5%. Market leader Tesco increased its share from 27.7% to 28.3%.
Dunnes, Tesco’s nearest rival, saw its market share fall year-on-year from 23.9% to 22.4%, although Kantar said there had been some improvement from last month’s figures.
SuperValu’s market share was flat year-on-year. at 19.5%
