Lidl has become the fifth biggest supermarket in the UK, surpassing Morrisons after an increase in sales of 8.8 per cent compared to last year.
The German-owned discount retailer has claimed an 8.6 per cent share of the grocery market as a result, with data from Worldpanel by Numerator showing it has remained the UK’s fastest-growing grocery shop with physical stores for 35 straight months.
While some supermarkets have led with price discounting to match Lidl prices - or its larger competitor Aldi - the Lidl Plus loyalty app has kept customers coming back and reportedly accounts for half its growth over the last year.
Ocado, the online retailer, has faster growth at 10.2 per cent year on year, but a market share of only 2.1 per cent, and Marks & Spencer also has a higher rate of grocery sales at 9.3 per cent according to The Grocer, but Worldpanel does not factor M&S as a grocer due to its offerings of clothing and homeware sales.
Tesco remains the dominant shop by market share, at 28.2 per cent, with Sainsbury’s remaining in second at 15.2 per cent.
Among the biggest eight supermarkets, third-placed Asda was the only one to see its takings decrease year on year with a 3 per cent drop. Its market share is also down from 12.1 per cent a year ago to 11.5 per cent now.
Aldi sits between Asda and Lidl, while Co-op (5.1 per cent), Waitrose (4.5 per cent), Iceland (2.2 per cent) and Ocado (2.1 per cent) are the smallest of the major grocers by market share.
Inflation on grocery prices for the four weeks to May 2026 at 3.1 per cent, the lowest since December 2024 - but the Food and Drink Federation have warned that significantly higher costs are incoming later this year.
“The easing in the rate of inflation is welcome news for shoppers who have been grappling with warnings of a hike in food prices due to the impact of the war in the Middle East,” said Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Worldpanel.
Ryan McDonnell, the chief executive of Lidl GB, added: “Becoming Great Britain’s fifth largest supermarket is a significant milestone and a clear indication of the momentum we have built. As customer expectations shift, households are looking for value they can rely on without compromising on quality, and we remain laser-focused on delivering exactly that.
“Achieving this is a testament to the dedication of our colleagues, whose hard work delivers for our customers every single day.”
