Asda beats competitors to become fastest growing Big Four supermarket for first time in more than two years
Asda beat its competitors to become the fastest growing of the biggest UK supermarkets for the first time in more than two years as consumers ventured further for their food shopping.
The latest data showed Asda, which was recently sold by US retail giant Walmart to the Issa brothers and TDR Capital, increased its market share by 0.4 percentage points to 14.8 per cent.
Its sales jumped eight per cent compared to the same period last year.
Tesco also gained market share, moving to 27 per cent, as its sales rose 6.4 per cent over the last 12 weeks.
Meanwhile Morrisons’ market sure was up 0.1 percentage points to 10 per cent, and Sainsbury’s share remained at 15.3 per cent as sales climbed six per cent, according to the most recent Kantar data.
Ocado’s growth slowed to 27.5 per cent, but the retailer still held on to its position as the fasted growing grocer.
Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, said: “There is a growing sense that the worst of the pandemic is behind us, and people are becoming more comfortable with venturing out to the supermarket.
“The past four weeks have been the busiest in store for the grocers in more than a year, as the number of trips made in April increased by 4 per cent compared to March. With much of the over-65 community now vaccinated, older shoppers accounted for nearly half of the increased footfall.”