The latest market share figures from Kantar Worldpanel in Ireland were published for the 12 weeks ending 8 October 2017, showing that SuperValu and Tesco are neck and neck for top spot.

Just 0.1% separates the top three Irish supermarkets fighting for that top spot with the festive period just around the corner.

SuperValu and Tesco both have a market share of 22%, with Dunnes Stores just behind the leaders on 21.9%.

Tesco saw a strong sales growth of 4.2% in the last year, improving its market share by 0.4%. SuperValu also witnessed an increase in sales, up 0.5%, however it was not enough to maintain top spot.

Furthermore, Aldi and Lidl both increased sales year on year – 3.0% and 2.8% respectively. Lidl’s market share now stands at 11.7% and Aldi’s at 11.6%.

David Berry of Kantar Worldpanel commented on the latest trends in the market, “With Dunnes Stores only 0.1 percentage points behind SuperValu and Tesco, the top three Irish supermarkets are all fighting for the top spot. With the festive period just around the corner – the time of year when sales spike and shoppers aren’t afraid to spend that little bit extra – the competition shows no sign of abating.”

Mr. Berry continued: “With the recent trend towards own-label items, there’s now some good news on the horizon for brands.

“This time last year sales of branded items dropped by 0.5% compared to the year before, however we’re now seeing a return to form – with sales up 1.3%.

“At Christmas, shoppers tend to flock back to brands – partly for sentimental reasons and also as people are tempted to trade up at this time of the year – so with the countdown to the festive season now well and truly underway, it’s likely we’ll see this trend continue into the new year.”