Dunnes Stores remain Ireland’s largest supermarket in the crucial run-up to the festive period, according to the latest figures from Kantar Worldpanel. The fight for grocery market share remains fierce with only 0.3 percentage points separating the top three, with Dunnes occupying 22.5%, Tesco in second with 22.3% followed by SuperValu with 22.2%. Aldi and Lidl are tied for fourth position, capturing 11.2% of market share each. Lidl enjoyed the second fastest growth rate in the market behind Tesco, with sales growth of 3.3%.

“Dunnes Stores has always performed strongly in the countdown to Christmas and this year is no exception. Holding steady year-on-year with a 22.5% share of the market, the retailer has seen strong sales growth of 2.4% to retain the title of Ireland’s largest supermarket” according to David Berry, Director at Kantar Worldpanel. He says, “Dunnes Stores’ ‘Shop and Save’ initiative has proved the key to the retailers’ success. Shoppers now spend €2.30 more per shop than last year as customers are encouraged to up the value of their baskets to get extra money off.”

The data also shows that shoppers are more willing to part with their cash in comparison to this time last year. Sales of key festive items across Irish supermarkets has increased with the number of Christmas puddings sold up 12.6% and mince pies up 2.5% on this time last year. Wine sales are also up by 8%, giving the market an extra holiday boost worth €9 million.

Tesco have performed strongly in the last 12 weeks. Sales have grown by 4.7% compared with last year and this is now the fourth month in a row that Tesco has experienced sales growth of more than 4%. This strong growth has translated into increased market share – up 0.5 percentage points on this time last year, the supermarket now holds a 22.3% share of the market.