Clubcard lifts Tesco’s share of customers
SUPERMARKET giant Tesco is growing market share for the first time in two years as it fights back at its rivals, industry figures show.
Tesco’s double Clubcard points promotion – which cost the group around £5m a week – helped its share of the grocery market climb to 30.7 per cent in the 12 weeks to 1 November, compared to 30.6 per cent a year ago, the data from TNS Worldpanel showed.
Sales at Britain’s biggest grocer’s rose 4.7 per cent pushing it ahead of the 4.4 per cent seen in the wider grocery market.
Asda consolidated its position as the UK number two with market share of 17.3 per cent, while J Sainsbury is in third place with 15.9 per cent.
All of the big four supermarkets outperformed the average rate of growth in the grocery market. But Morrisons – which enjoys an 11.7 per cent market share – delivered the highest growth at 8.5 per cent, as it continued its expansion nationwide.
Waitrose now has four per cent of the grocery market, up from 3.7 per cent a year ago.
And in a sign that the pressures of the recession are easing, sales at upmarket chain Waitrose surged 12.3 per cent over the period, its best performance since September 2005.
Discounter retailers Aldi, Netto and Lidl did not fare so well. Their share of the market remained steady at 6.1 per cent year-on-year after food price inflation eased and shoppers returned to more mainstream names.
Mike Watson, from Nielsen, said: “It is getting more competitive with Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrison all offering shoppers either double points, coupons or vouchers to remain loyal this Christmas.”