Tesco have captured 22.5% of grocery retail market share thanks to their emphasis on their BBQ and chilled meat ranges during the recent heatwave.

Tesco were also the only retailer to increase their market share during the 12 weeks ending 15 July 2018. The supermarket brand’s extensive ‘Grillin’ and Chillin’ marketing campaign saw it make a big push on key barbecue items, with products like ice cream, chilled poultry and chilled burgers all performing strongly and resulting in shoppers putting, on average, 4.7% more items in their baskets on each trip.

SuperValu achieved overall sales growth of 2.6%, they’re biggest jump since October 2016. The retailer traditionally performs well in summer categories as its store network is convenient for shoppers making more frequent top-up shops during the key barbecue season. This year has been no exception, with chilled burgers, fresh fish, and fresh lamb all recording double-digit sales growth.

Dunnes Stores now accounts for 21.2% of grocery sales in Ireland, thanks to sales growth of 1.9% this period. The average Dunnes basket now features 20 items, a 5.7% increase compared to the previous 12 weeks and more than any other retailer.

Meanwhile, Lidl and Aldi have 11.9% and 11.5% market share respectively, with both posting sales growth in the most recent 12 weeks. Aldi was the only retailer to see a slight rise in shopper numbers this period, with the impact of its current Swap & Save campaign potentially contributing to increased shopper penetration.

Across the market, the recent rising temperatures and the World Cup saw sales soar by 3.1% with two of the biggest winners being lager and bottled water. Water sales rose by 27.3% while lager sales saw growth of 11.6% or the equivalent of an additional 7 million pints. This was as a result of both increased shopper numbers and shoppers buying larger quantities.

There’s a number of factors contributing to the spike in water sales according to Douglas Faughnan, consumer insight director at Kantar Worldpanel “A number of things may have influenced the surge of bottled water sales in Ireland – in particular the recent weather, speculation surrounding water shortages and this month’s hosepipe ban. Irish shoppers bought bottled water on 1.8 million more occasions in the latest 12 weeks compared to the same period last year, helping sales grow by over a quarter. Furthermore a Europe-wide shortage of CO2 may have stifled sales of carbonated water, which grew at a third of the rate of still water, with retailers and manufacturers shifting their focus to stills where necessary.”