Asda has reached a record market share of 17.9% in March while Tesco’s share fell on a year earlier.

Asda held almost 18% of the market, thanks largely to the integration of its Netto stores, according to new figures published today for the 12 weeks ending March 18 by Kantar Worldpanel.

Tesco’s market share now stands at 30.2%, down from 30.6% a year earlier, and its growth rate of 2.7% still lags behind the market and results in a drop in share. However, it is an improvement on the growth rates seen so far this year. 

Sainsbury’s and Morrisons maintained their market share at 16.6% and 12.3% respectively.

Data for the four weeks to March 18 reveals a stronger performance at Tesco which grew 4.9% while Asda grew at 8.1%, Sainsbury’s 4.6%, Morrisons 6.4% and Waitrose 7.7% while The Co-operative’s growth rate fell 1.4%. The figures included an earlier Mother’s Day this year.

The grocery market as a whole grew at 4% in the quarter, below the 5.5% grocery inflation rate “meaning shoppers are having to take advantage of the current crop of special offers and make selective purchases to manage down their ‘personal’ inflation,” Kantar said.

Waitrose, Aldi and Lidl continue to outperform the market, particularly so in the case of Aldi with year-on-year growth of 28.5% over th 12 weeks.

Kantar Worldpanel director Edward Garner said: “The frozen food market remains buoyant and this has helped Iceland to enjoy 10.2% growth – good news for the new consortium owning the chain.”

See fill Kantar Worldpanel till roll data for main store sales excluding fuel below:

  12 Weeks to 20 March 2011  12 Weeks to 18 March 2012 change
 £000s%   * £000s %   *%
Total Till Roll    30,189,960     31,071,210 2.9
 Total Grocers          22,445,730100.0%          23,350,500100.0%4.0
   Total Multiples            21,938,41097.7%            22,830,23097.8%4.1
      Tesco                6,872,64330.6%                7,061,13030.2%2.7
      Total Asda                4,036,01618.0%                4,187,54217.9%3.8
        Asda                3,886,27117.3%                4,187,54217.9%7.8
        Netto                   149,7450.7%                           -  0.0%-100.0
      Sainsbury’s                3,717,85416.6%                3,869,68916.6%4.1
      Morrisons                2,770,06512.3%                2,864,81012.3%3.4
      The Co-operative                  1,543,4116.9%                1,513,2036.5%-2.0
        Co-operative                  1,530,9226.8%                1,512,4086.5%-1.2
        Somerfield                    12,4890.1%                         7960.0%-93.6
      Waitrose                   971,5374.3%                1,036,8694.4%6.7
      Aldi                   473,3282.1%                   608,2572.6%28.5
      Lidl                   567,3092.5%                   627,9162.7%10.7
      Iceland                   422,6531.9%                   465,9102.0%10.2
      Farm Foods                   140,8830.6%                   139,7040.6%-0.8
      Other Multiples                   422,7101.9%                   455,1971.9%7.7
   Symbols & Independents                 507,3222.3%                 520,2702.2%2.6

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