Lidl steals march on retail rivals during summer months

Tesco Ireland has managed to narrow its sales decline in the last few months, but it has been German discounter Lidl which has stolen a march on the competition in the Irish grocery market during the summer.

Latest industry data for the 12 weeks to July 19 from consumer agency Kantar Worldpanel shows Lidl increased over-the-counter sales by just over 8% in the period, when measured on a year-on-year basis, helping it reach record market share levels.

“Competition is increasingly intense within the grocery market, with price reductions and money-off vouchers becoming the norm,” said Kantar director, David Berry.