NI grocery market share boosted by summer favourites and promotions
The early summer weather last month played its part in increasing consumer spend, the latest figures suggest.
In the year to 18th May 2025, £4.4 billion passed through the tills of grocers in Northern Ireland, an increase of 1.5% compared to last year.
Kantar suggests this growth may also be linked to the warmer weather we enjoyed last month. Although shoppers made fewer store visits, down 1.7%, they did pick up more items per trip. This behaviour contributed an additional £59.1 million to the overall market performance.
Meanwhile, grocery inflation in Northern Ireland now stands at 2.32%, slightly up from 2.26% the previous month.
Shoppers across the region bathed in the warmer weather with alfresco dining and as a result, spent an extra £4.7 million on sausages, potato salad and dips. Wine sales also rose, with an additional £3.7 million spent compared to this time in 2024.
Business Development Director at Kantar, Emer Healy said that many shoppers sought value through a combination of promotions and own-label options.
“Promotional activity remains strong, making up over 22.6% of value sales, with nearly £1 billion spent on promotional deals,” said Emer.
“Spending on branded products rose by £31.5 million, a year-on-year increase of 1.3%, boosting branded value share to 54.8%. Own-label products grew at a faster rate of 1.8%, with spending up by £32.7 million, bringing own-label value share to 43.3%.”
Meanwhile, Tesco continues to lead the market with a 36.9% share, up 6.6% on last year. Its growth was driven by more frequent trips and the attraction of new shoppers, adding £50.1 million to its performance.
Sainsbury’s holds a 16.7% share, up 0.3% year-on-year. This growth came from both new shoppers and increased volumes from existing ones, contributing £84.9 million overall.
Asda’s market share rose to 16%, up 0.9%, with more trips and larger baskets adding £7.9 million to its performance. Lidl now holds a 9.2% share, an increase of 2.3%. Its growth was supported by more frequent visits from existing customers and the addition of new shoppers, contributing £6.8 million.
