Supermarket ‘big three’ see rise in market share

THE big three players in the Irish grocery market — Tesco, Dunnes and SuperValu — all increased market share over Christmas as they battled for customers who increased their spending by 1% in the three months to December.

The latest grocery market figures from Kantar Worldpanel in Ireland, published for the 12 weeks ending 25 December 2011, showed the market returning to growth with value sales increasing by 1%. However, Kantar point out growth rates remain significantly below the 3.4% food inflation rate. The rate of grocery inflation fell from 3.4%, down from 3.7% in the previous period.

Commercial director at Kantar Worldpanel, David Berry, said: “The big three’s battle for market share has resonated well with shoppers, with each retailer performing ahead of the market.