SuperValu has regained the title of Ireland’s largest grocer, according to the latest Kantar Worldpanel figures.
For the past two months the coveted title was held by Dunnes Stores.
According to Dave Berry director at Kantar Worldpanel, "The battle to attract shoppers remains fierce as ever as Supervalu makes its way back to the number one spot. After two consecutive months at the top, Dunnes was unable to remain Ireland’s largest supermarket for a third month with Supervalu finishing 0.3 percentage points ahead of the retailer.”
The latest figures also show that the Irish grocery market has slipped into deflation for the first time in almost two years, dropping 0.7 percentage points month-on-month to -0.2%. This is according to the latest figures from Kantar Worldpanel in Ireland, published yesterday for the 12 weeks ending 26 March 2017.
The report highlighted that the latest figures reflect the impact of Easter falling at a later date this year and also that the holiday falls outside the latest 12 weeks while it was within the comparable period last year. As a result 'overall growth in the market fell to 0.7% – significantly below the level during the same period in 2016, demonstrating Easter’s significant boost to the market'.
David Berry, director at Kantar Worldpanel, explains: “Only now are we starting to feel the effect of the weakened pound following the EU referendum as the price of British imports drops. For the first time since May 2015 grocery prices are falling so consumers are likely to have a little extra cash to hand, though this doesn’t necessary mean they’ll spend more in store. Many will see the break from inflation as a chance to cut down their grocery costs and pocket the savings instead.”
One of the main trends within the Irish grocery market this year is shoppers’ move towards own-label, with these goods now accounting for 54% of total grocery spend – up 6% in the past four years.
David Berry continues: “Supervalu and Tesco have both responded and expanded their own-label ranges.The retailers see this as a real opportunity for growth, with own-label lines offering them the chance to set themselves apart from the rest.
Finally, Aldi and Lidl are a major contributing factor to the own-label trend as majority of their stock is own-label which could have driven last months growth in this area.
© 2017 - Checkout Magazine by Donna Ahern
