Lidl has overtaken Waitrose to become the UK’s seventh largest grocer as increasingly cash-strapped shoppers turn to the discounters. Fellow discounter Aldi’s sales rose by 17.2%, giving it a 7% market share. Although Lidl has overtaken Waitrose, the upmarket grocer’s share of sales held steady at 5.1%. “The big four now account for just 69.3% of the UK grocery market – down from 76.3% five years ago – and that looks set to fall further in the coming months.”The grocery market is being lifted by inflation, underpinned by the fall in the value of the pound since the Brexit vote last year. While overall supermarket sales rose 4% during the period, Kantar said poor weather had affected sales of summer favourites in the past month.

Source: The Guardian August 22, 2017 07:44 UTC