Tesco Ireland has posted growth of 0.3% for the 12 weeks ending 13 September, according to the latest supermarket share figures from Kantar Worldpanel - its first period of sales growth since 2013.
Georgiann Harrington, insight director at Kantar Worldpanel, explains: “Making the most of the back to school season, the grocer has seen its spend from families with children – a heartland for the retailer – increase by 4%. A modest increase in shopper numbers overall has certainly played a part in Tesco’s recovery, and its customers are also buying more products per shop in the latest period, helping to boost the retailer’s performance.”
On a broader scale, Kantar's figures also show a year-on-year growth in sales of 1.8% across the Irish grocery market, meaning the market has now grown consecutively for eighteen months, the longest period of sustained growth since October 2013.
Discount retailer Lidl posted the strongest sales for the past 12 weeks, growing well ahead of the market with an increase of 9.5%. Dunnes Stores was the next best performer, growing its sales by 5.2%.
Harrington commented on the reasons for both supermarkets' success; “Getting shoppers through the doors continues to be the biggest driver of growth for Lidl, with 40,000 new customers visiting the retailer this year.
“Dunnes’ strong performance continues – shoppers now spend almost €50 more than they did last year, thanks largely to the ‘Shop & Save’ campaign. The retailer continues to gain share in shopping trips worth over €100 and has benefitted from customers buying more items, with volume sales increasing by 5%. However, Dunnes has actually seen a drop in shopper numbers, with around 70,000 leaving its stores in the latest period.”
In terms of market share, Tesco comes out on top once again with 24.8%, but SuperValu is hot on its heels, capturing 24.3% of market share.
© 2015 - Checkout Magazine by Niall Swan
