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Aldi and Lidl achieved their highest-ever Christmas market share as household spending in supermarkets hit a record high this festive period, according to new data published this morning.
Kantar reported sales at the grocers rose by 2.1% year on year over the four weeks to 29 December.
Asda was the only mainstream supermarket to register a fall in sales in the 12 weeks leading up to Christmas, with till roll spend down 5.8%.
The discounters hit a combined share of 17.3% over the period, with sales up 2.9% at Aldi and by 6.6% at Lidl.
Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, said: “It was a solid Christmas at the supermarkets with sales surpassing £13bn during the four weeks of December for the first time ever, showing people were clearly in the mood to celebrate and spend. However, despite the festive cheer, grocery price inflation has ticked up to 3.7%, its highest level since March 2024.”
A full report on December’s Kantar figures is available on The Grocer’s website here.
Morning update
Food sales in the run up to Christmas were significantly down versus the same period in 2023, according to the latest data from the BRC and KPMG.
The figure rose by 1.7% year on year in the four weeks to 28 December. It compared to 6.3% growth in December 2023.
BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said the crucial ‘golden quarter’ “failed to give 2024 the send-off retailers were hoping for”.
There was also gloomy figures from the Barclays Consumer Spend report that showed a slowdown in supermarket spending (-2%) in December as Brits looked to cut back.
Overall consumer card spending remained flat in December, with 0% growth year on year.
Barclays head of retail Karen Johnson said: “Consumers demonstrated their ability to carefully manage their money once again in December.”
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