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File photo. Dunnes Stores came out on top ahead of Tesco and Supervalu Shutterstock/Jose Ignacio Retamal

Dunnes Stores comes out on top - just - as the most popular supermarket in Ireland

Dunnes has a market share lead of 0.2% over Tesco in the latest figures from Kantar.

THE SUMMER HAS arrived for Irish supermarkets, with the overall consumer spend for the 12 weeks to 14 July up 2.7% on last year, according to the latest figures from Kantar.

Dunnes Stores is in first place in the latest consumer spending figures, on 21.8% of the overall market. It comes after an increase of 6.3% in the value of sales.

It comes just ahead of Tesco on 21.6% and Supervalu on 21.1%. Aldi’s share was 12.5% and Lidl’s was 12.2%. 

The latest figures come as good news overall for many retailers after the previous figures showed a drop in consumer spending in supermarkets in June 2019 compared to June 2018, when shoppers spent during the heatwave and men’s football World Cup.

Kantar said that Dunnes and Lidl had capitalised on a growing trend among shoppers who prepare their meals from scratch. Meal ingredients such as herbs are up 26%, spaghetti is up 10%, passata up 15% and mince by 11%. 

kantar july 2019 Kantar Kantar

Consumers are also paying a bit more for products than they were last year, with grocery inflation up 2.8%. This figure is compiled by comparing 30,000 identical products and their year-on-year price.

For the first time since March 2017, two Irish retailers had a year-on-year decline. Tesco’s sales were down 0.8% while Supervalu’s was down 0.5%. 

Kantar’s Douglas Faughnan said: “Shoppers swayed towards shorter and more frequent grocery trips during last year’s good weather to the benefit of Tesco and SuperValu, which typically boast higher levels of shopper frequency.  But every silver lining has a cloud, and both grocers were always going to face an uphill battle to replicate that performance this year.  

Twelve months ago, Dunnes was the third largest supermarket in Ireland.  Thanks to an additional 65,000 customers in the latest 12 weeks the retailer has retained top spot for the eleventh consecutive period.  The retailer typically performs strongest in the second half of the year and the run up to Christmas so has a solid base as we move towards its core trading season

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    Mute Brian Nevin
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    Jul 29th 2019, 12:12 PM

    Where do these figures come from, I was in lidl yesterday, all 5 tills open and Q’s at them all and everyone seem to be doing a full shop, had to go to tesco for a couple of items, the place was practically empty, no one had a full trolley just a few items in baskets, 2 tills open and no Q

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    Mute The Thinker
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    Jul 29th 2019, 1:00 PM

    @Brian Nevin: Agree. I would have always thought Lidl and Aldi to be the most popular.

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    Mute Tweety McTweeter
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    Jul 29th 2019, 1:26 PM

    @Brian Nevin: Your anecdotal evidence is compelling and thorough. This study should be thrown right out the window!

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    Mute SilexFlint
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    Jul 29th 2019, 2:00 PM

    @Brian Nevin: those few items from tesco cost as much as a full lidl shop though

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    Mute @TIRED
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    Jul 29th 2019, 2:05 PM

    @Brian Nevin: agree. The Local Tesco is always empty.
    Dunnes Aldi and LIDL are goldmines

    26
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    Mute bill2345
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    Jul 29th 2019, 2:52 PM

    @Brian Nevin: there are very few lidls and aldis compared to tescos In Ireland ..

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    Mute Frank Discussion
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    Jul 29th 2019, 3:34 PM

    @Brian Nevin: can’t believe 143 gave thumbs up ffs.” I notice something in my local shop so my statistic must be correct for the whole country”

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    Mute Brian Nevin
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    Jul 29th 2019, 4:15 PM

    @bill2345: 149 tesco stores and 329 aldi/ lidl so whats your point

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    Mute Brian Nevin
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    Jul 29th 2019, 4:53 PM

    @Frank Discussion: sorry the journal keeps taking down my reply to your comment because of the language I used so I’ll leave this here Knobhead

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    Mute Shawn O'Ceallaghan
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    Jul 29th 2019, 6:07 PM

    @Brian Nevin: it’s based on a sample of 5000 people give or take who scan their receipts back to Kantar. The info is probably supplemented by the retailers

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    Mute Nick Caffrey
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    Jul 30th 2019, 7:04 AM

    @Tweety McTweeter: That shot went too high.

    1
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    Mute Josh Hanners
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    Jul 29th 2019, 12:16 PM

    I find figures which show Aldi and Lidl with their low prices and quality products are only 11% of the market very suspect. The survey was done by Kantar, I’d like to know who paid for it?

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    Mute Tony Harris
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    Jul 29th 2019, 12:22 PM

    @Josh Hanners: Combine Aldi &Lidl and you probobly get a better picture? Nearly 25% of the market. Can anyone tell the difference between the 2?

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    Mute Niall O'Sullivan
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    Jul 29th 2019, 12:47 PM

    @Josh Hanners: Kantar is panel data, it is a representative sample with thousands of shoppers data. How it works is they have a group of different types of shoppers who scan their take home shopping (not on the go purchases). They scale up this panel to total population to get a view of total market. Anyone can buy this data food manufacturers or retailers or whoever. It isn’t paid for by a specific interested party.

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    Mute Mel Fitzpatrick
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    Jul 29th 2019, 12:28 PM

    I’m surprised that the Aldi & Lidl figures are that low

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    Mute Ian McNally
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    Jul 29th 2019, 1:57 PM

    @Mel Fitzpatrick: As many have pointed out if you combine them you get the market leader which makes more sense

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    Mute Skimothy
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    Jul 29th 2019, 2:07 PM

    @Ian McNally: but they are still different companies

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    Mute Thomas O' Donnell
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    Jul 29th 2019, 7:51 PM

    @Ian McNally: Why not combine Dunnes and Tesco aswell?

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    Mute alan
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    Jul 29th 2019, 12:33 PM

    Super value are nearly there but still too pricey?

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    Mute Luke Lee
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    Jul 29th 2019, 1:09 PM

    @alan: Too right. € 7.50 for a cooked chicken in my local. For that price I presume these chickens are kept in The Merrion Hotel and hand fed seeds by Russian strippers.

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    Mute Dave Walsh
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    Jul 29th 2019, 1:29 PM

    @Luke Lee: biggest lol all day thanks for that.

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    Mute Darren Bates
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    Jul 29th 2019, 12:41 PM

    42.9% of the population have money to burn by shopping at Dunnes and SuperValu!

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    Mute Joseph Molloy
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    Jul 29th 2019, 12:42 PM

    I wouldn’t trust tescos meat. Three separate incidents the meat went off after day or two.

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    Mute Al Madzer
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    Jul 29th 2019, 12:50 PM

    @Joseph Molloy: I worked in a meat processing plant, tesco get the worst of the worst meant because that’s what they pay for. Similar to Starbucks who buy the cheapest beans from the coffee farmers, unfortunately their branding and marketing would have you think that they are the best of the best beans.

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    Mute eric nelligan
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    Jul 29th 2019, 1:10 PM

    @Al Madzer: my wife works in the food quality industry, Tesco finest is really excellent stuff, they pay well and very high quality. Lidl, Aldi and many own brands pay peanuts and that’s what you get in terms of quality. If you’re ok with low to middle quality and find the taste ok then you pay little. Consumers choice.

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    Mute Shane Freeney
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    Jul 29th 2019, 1:22 PM

    @Joseph Molloy: Maybe check your fridge temp

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    Mute Tony Lyons
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    Jul 29th 2019, 1:28 PM

    @Al Madzer: bullshit

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    Mute Paul
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    Jul 29th 2019, 12:24 PM

    When I want to get from one street to another and instead of walking around the block, I would cut through Dunne’s stores. Never that many in there to block my progress

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    Mute Graham Murphy Esq
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    Jul 29th 2019, 12:17 PM

    Every Lidl Helps

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    Mute Seeking Truth
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    Jul 29th 2019, 2:42 PM

    I remember when Aldi and Lidl were at 5pct each in the market share Delighted to see it has gained so much momentum over the past 10 years.

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    Mute Bunny Johnson
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    Jul 29th 2019, 1:27 PM

    Seems a lot better of dislike for SuperValu here. Not every town has all of these, mine has Supervalu and Aldi only. Nearest Dunnes/Tesco 25 mile and dunnes never seems to have much choice to me at least. That said, can’t fault SuperValu quality, Staff etc. Tesco’s may be cheaper but quality can be very hit and miss. Their delivery service seems to send worst veg they can find. I’ll stick with SuperValu thanks.

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    Mute wiggy
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    Jul 29th 2019, 12:42 PM

    As long as it’s not SuperValu

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    Mute Rory Murphy
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    Jul 29th 2019, 12:34 PM

    SuperValu… nothing super about it …it’d rob you … just like Tesco does… at least Dick Turpin wore a mask when he was out robbing.

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    Mute Martin Sinnott
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    Jul 29th 2019, 3:25 PM

    Dunnes lild ans Aldi are private companies and don’t publish figures. How can Kantor figures be so accurate? Can the Kantor be trusted ?

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    Mute Bilbo Baggins
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    Jul 29th 2019, 1:19 PM

    ‘Most popular ‘is a bit disingenuous no?

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    Mute Shawn O'Ceallaghan
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    Jul 29th 2019, 6:10 PM

    @Bilbo Baggins: Should be highest market share by sales.

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    Mute Sal Paradise
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    Jul 29th 2019, 1:45 PM

    How many stores do each have nationwide? That might give a better insight.

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    Mute Brian Nevin
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    Jul 29th 2019, 6:06 PM

    @Sal Paradise: SuperValu 222, lidl 200, tesco 149, aldi 129, dunnes 117

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    Mute Dave Walsh
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    Jul 29th 2019, 12:12 PM

    Every Little Helps..

    10
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    Mute O Lusaigh Sean
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    Jul 29th 2019, 8:11 PM

    I’m on a 150 euro approx shop every week for the family. With the vouchers 10 off when you spend 50 I pay approx 120 euro. It’s the only thing that keeps me going back for the major shop.

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    Mute 20toquit mobile app
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    Jul 29th 2019, 7:17 PM

    Why don’t you’s do a survey to see who sells the most Irish products. I think That would be an interesting one.

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    Mute Robert Dungan
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    Jul 30th 2019, 12:10 AM

    Stuff in Aldi and Lidl is poor quality.Fruit and veg goes off very quick.Remember the maxim…you pay for what you get.

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