Data from Worldpanel by Numerator showed that like-for-like grocery inflation fell to 3.8% in the four weeks to 19th April.
Over the 12 weeks to 19th April 2026, Lidl reached a market share of 8.4%, up from 8% last year. Sales increased by 8.8%, which Numerator said was driven by the acquisition of more than half a million shoppers.
For Tesco and Sainsbury’s, spending at the tills rose by 4.3% and 4.5%, respectively. Market share for Tesco rose by 0.4% to 28.1%, and Sainsbury’s now holds 15.5% market share, up from 15.3% last year.
Morrisons saw sales increase by 1.1% resulting in a share of 8.4%, while Asda’s share stood at 11.6%. Aldi’s sales rose by 1.2% year-on-year and spending at Iceland increased by 2.1%. This left both retailers with a market share of 10.6% and 2.3%, respectively. Co-op held 5.1% share of the take-home market.
Take-home grocery sales increased by 0.9% over the four weeks to 19th April compared with the same period a year ago.
Like-for-like grocery inflation fell to 3.8%, which Numerator said indicated that the impact of the conflict in the Middle East had not yet filtered through to supermarket shelves in Britain.
“Concerns about the impact of the Middle East conflict on prices of everyday goods are front of mind for British households.”
Shoppers were increasingly seeking out deals due to concerns about rising prices, with spending on promoted items over the four weeks rising 7.8% year-on-year. Spending on full-price goods fell by 0.2%.
Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Worldpanel by Numerator, stated: “Concerns about the impact of the Middle East conflict on prices of everyday goods are front of mind for British households. Already feeling the squeeze at the petrol pump, shoppers are responding by turning to special offers in growing numbers when buying groceries.”
The proportion of spending on promotions currently stands at 31.3%, having risen year-on-year every month since July 2023. Price cuts drove this trend, with four in every five pounds spent on promotional items used on price reductions, rather than multi-buys, which tend to push up basket sizes.
Shoppers boost sales as they purchase seasonal products
Almost 9% of households bought a fresh lamb joint in Easter week. Sales in the four weeks to Easter Sunday on 5th April were up by 14.9% compared with the same run up to the holiday weekend in 2025.
Sales of hot cross buns over the same time period rose by 14%. Traditionally flavoured hot cross buns accounted for just over half of sales, but alternative flavours, such as lemon curd, apple and cinnamon, and chocolate and salted caramel, appear “poised” to account for the largest part of the market in 2027.
McKevitt continued: ”Easter is always an important indicator of consumer mood, and shoppers did not hold back on the traditional staples this year. However, with the conflict in the Middle East continuing to fuel concerns about price increases, the promotional data suggests that shoppers are already looking for ways to keep grocery bills down.”
