Britain's supermarkets have offered festive shoppers a sleigh full of savings this Christmas, as discounters Aldi and Lidl raked in a record-breaking share of the grocery market.
According to figures from Worldpanel by Numerator, these two German-owned chains took a whopping 16.8% slice of the market between December 1st and 28th, outpacing their closest competitors Asda and the Co-op. The total spent on groceries during this period reached £13.8 billion, up 3.8% year-over-year, with each shopper parting with an average of £476.
The most in-demand items were fresh meat (£115 million) and chilled snacks such as finger food, dips, and antipasti (£80 million). Meanwhile, Lidl outpaced the other chains to become the fastest-growing physical chain, thanks largely to Asda and Co-op losing sales and market share. This rapid growth now puts Lidl just shy of Morrisons, poised to overtake it to claim fifth place among UK supermarkets.
In contrast, Aldi – currently the UK's fourth-largest chain – is closing in on Asda, which saw its market share decline by 4.2%. The gap between the two chains stands at a mere 1.3 percentage points.
On the other end of the spectrum, upmarket Waitrose posted a remarkable 4.5% increase in sales, while Ocado experienced a 15% surge in online grocery sales – partly driven by households opting for their festive shopping online. The total share of online grocery sales now sits at 12.2%, making it clear that many shoppers have the budget to splurge.
However, this Christmas saw consumers seeking more affordable options, with spending on groceries rising at a slower pace than inflation (4.3% vs. 4.7%). As a result, supermarkets are seeing shoppers flocking to supermarket own-label products, discount chains, and buying fewer items – ultimately making smart savings the name of the game this holiday season.
Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Worldpanel by Numerator, attributes the shift towards price-driven purchasing decisions: "It was a Christmas of smart savings and considered choices – almost every household bought into supermarkets' premium ranges, while price remained front of mind."
According to figures from Worldpanel by Numerator, these two German-owned chains took a whopping 16.8% slice of the market between December 1st and 28th, outpacing their closest competitors Asda and the Co-op. The total spent on groceries during this period reached £13.8 billion, up 3.8% year-over-year, with each shopper parting with an average of £476.
The most in-demand items were fresh meat (£115 million) and chilled snacks such as finger food, dips, and antipasti (£80 million). Meanwhile, Lidl outpaced the other chains to become the fastest-growing physical chain, thanks largely to Asda and Co-op losing sales and market share. This rapid growth now puts Lidl just shy of Morrisons, poised to overtake it to claim fifth place among UK supermarkets.
In contrast, Aldi – currently the UK's fourth-largest chain – is closing in on Asda, which saw its market share decline by 4.2%. The gap between the two chains stands at a mere 1.3 percentage points.
On the other end of the spectrum, upmarket Waitrose posted a remarkable 4.5% increase in sales, while Ocado experienced a 15% surge in online grocery sales – partly driven by households opting for their festive shopping online. The total share of online grocery sales now sits at 12.2%, making it clear that many shoppers have the budget to splurge.
However, this Christmas saw consumers seeking more affordable options, with spending on groceries rising at a slower pace than inflation (4.3% vs. 4.7%). As a result, supermarkets are seeing shoppers flocking to supermarket own-label products, discount chains, and buying fewer items – ultimately making smart savings the name of the game this holiday season.
Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Worldpanel by Numerator, attributes the shift towards price-driven purchasing decisions: "It was a Christmas of smart savings and considered choices – almost every household bought into supermarkets' premium ranges, while price remained front of mind."
. It's like, supermarkets r gettin' more aggressive with their prices, but people are still findin' ways to save 
. Aldi and Lidl are killin' it right now 
, and it's not hard to see why - affordable products that don't compromise on quality 
. At the same time, upmarket chains like Waitrose r seein' a boost, which is awesome for those lookin' to splurge 
. But I get it, many people are tryin' to make ends meet this holiday season 
.
Aldi & Lidl are killing it this christmas with their insane discounts 
i mean who needs fancy wine or artisanal cheeses when u can get a decent deal on some decent grub 
? Asda's sales dropped like 4.2%?? that's just sad 
but Lidl's on the rise and Aldi's closing in on Asda, so who cares 
Shoppers are finally seeing the value in discount shopping & smart savings 
Its not just about saving a few quid, but also about treating yourself to some quality stuff without breaking the bank 
But lets be real, who doesn't love a good bargain? 
The gap between online grocery sales is crazy 15% wow 
! I'm definitely going to try more online shopping this year, it's so convenient 
meanwhile waitrose is doing well but ocado's online sales r through the roof 
gotta say tho, shopping online 4 christmas just got a whole lot more appealing now that u can save so much 
and yeah, supermarkets own-label products & discount chains r where its at this season... who needs fancy stuff when ur wallet's crying out for help? 
. They're like the cool cousins who show up to all the family gatherings with a briefcase full of savings 
. And don't even get me started on Ocado's online grocery sales - I mean, who needs human interaction when you can just click "buy now" and hope for the best? 
The grocery market is getting super competitive this Christmas, especially with Aldi and Lidl killing it 
. I'm not surprised to see people opting for supermarket own-label products and discount chains – prices are just too crazy these days! £13.8 billion spent on groceries in a week? That's insane 
.
️ It's great to see discounters like Aldi and Lidl raking in a record-breaking share of the market. They're definitely making it tough for the traditional supermarkets to keep up with prices.
I mean, have you guys ever had that Japanese-style broth with the pork belly?! 
it's like a party in your mouth! 
I need to see more data, more evidence before I believe this story.