The gap between market leader Tesco and number two in the market, SuperValu, narrowed to just 0.4% in the latest data on the Irish grocery market released by Kantar Worldpanel.

Sales data for the crucial Christmas period show that Tesco continues to lead the market with a 25.4% share, followed by SuperValu at 25%. Dunnes also had a good Christmas, taking a 23.5% share of the market.

Aldi (+12.2%) and Lidl (+15%) continue to deliver double digit growth in market share. For the 12 weeks to 4 January, Aldi had 8% of the Irish grocery market while Lidl had 7.4%.

“Other outlets”, which is everyone apart from the big five, now have just 10.8% of the Irish grocery market, compared to 11.2% in the same period last year.

The power of the big retailers is clear – Tesco, SuperValu and Dunnes have a combined share of 73.9%. That rises to just under 90% when Aldi and Lidl are included.

Tesco sales shrunk by 2% compared to the same period last year, a good result compared to their performance earlier in the year. SuperValu gew sales by 0.3% while Dunnes were almost identical (-0.1%) compared to the same period 12 months earlier.

In terms of the overall grocery market, Kantar Worldpanel in Ireland report that it was the best Christmas for Irish supermarkets since 2010, with sales growing by 1.1%. They note that sales of confectionery grew by 6%, crisps and snacks were up by 3% and soft drinks enjoyed a 2% sales growth.

The figures from Kantar Worldpanel Ireland are based on Kantar Worldpanel Ireland data for the 12 weeks to 4 January 2015. Kantar Worldpanel Ireland monitors the household grocery purchasing habits of 3,000 demographically representative households in the Republic of Ireland.

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Latest grocery market share data from @KWP_IE show Tesco retain market leadership at 25.4%, just ahead of SuperValu (25%) & Dunnes (23.5%)