The latest Worldpanel by Numerator data came out earlier this week, with the headline figure being grocery price inflation reaching 5.2%. That equates to an unpleasant £275 extra per year on the average shopping bill, says the organisation previously known as Kantar Worldpanel. 

In not-unrelated news, Lidl achieved a record market share of 8.3% in take-home grocery sales in the 12 weeks to July 13, 2025. The discounter now sits just 0.1 percentage points behind Morrisons and in touching distance of becoming the country’s fifth-biggest grocer.

 

A Lidl spokesperson said: “Reaching 8.3% market share, our highest yet, is a clear signal that shoppers are voting with their feet. This milestone reflects our longstanding position as the fastest-growing bricks-and-mortar supermarket in the UK, as well as our commitment to offering high-quality, affordable produce, which is why we’ve attracted more than half a million new customers.”

It is a remarkable upward trajectory for the German discounter, which has attracted more than 500,000 new customers to its stores during the measured period. Lidl’s last change in the rankings came in 2022 when it definitively started pulling away from the Co-op to solidify sixth position.

The data covers total till spend at retailers classed as grocers by Worldpanel, excluding petrol and in-store concessions. The market share figures exclude Marks & Spencer as clothing and general merchandise make up a higher share of its sales than grocery. 

Lid’s expansion is likely to continue, with the retailer announcing half a billion pounds of investment in April. This will include 40 additional stores by the end of this financial year, the retailer said.

This is one of the points that a Morrison spokesperson also made when asked for comment by Retail Week: “The numbers are partly a function of new supermarket openings, where we haven’t added new space for some time, and it’s worth remembering that the survey doesn’t capture all of the good growth we are seeing in convenience and wholesale, and our Myton manufacturing business.”

The other factor potentially supporting Lidl’s progress is inflation. Last month, Worldpanel global director Benjamin Cawthray pointed out that in 21 of the 23 months (between July 2022 and May 2025) when inflation sat above 4%, Aldi and Lidl combined gained 0.5% market share or higher.

 

Aldi overtook Morrisons to become the country’s fourth-biggest grocer in spring 2022.

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