Category Archives: Discounters

Grocery Market Shares in the UK 2020

Posted on July 28, 2020 by Leigh Sparks

In July of each year I have recorded the  Grcery Market Share of leading retailers in Great Britain as shown by Kantar data. This has been going on since 1997 and I have mentioned this series in this blog before … Continue reading →

Posted in Asda, Cooperative Group, Cooperatives, Covid19, Discounters, Food Retailing, Home Delivery, Independents, Internet shopping, Kantar, Lidl, Localisation, Lockdown, Market Shares, Ocado, Online Retailing, Retail Change, Retail Sales, Retailers, Retailing, Tesco, Uncategorized, Wal-Mart | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Retail Disruptors – the spectacular rise and impact of the hard discounters

Posted on January 21, 2019 by Leigh Sparks

The rise of the hard discounters is a well-observed phenomenon of continuing research endeavour and commentary.  In the UK, as is well known, Aldi and Lidl have captured considerable market share over the last decade. ‘Retail Disruptors’ by Jan-Benedict Steenkamp … Continue reading →

Posted in Academics, Aldi, Competition, Consumer Choice, Discounters, Food Retailing, Jack's, Lidl, Market Shares, Pricing, Retail Change, Retailers, Strategy, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Challenging Times in Food Retailing, continued

Posted on October 3, 2018 by Leigh Sparks

The pressures in the food retailing sector – especially for the ‘legacy’ operators – are well known and continue to build. The rise of the discounters (see the last post), the continuing growth of the internet and the consumer demand … Continue reading →

Posted in Aldi, Asda, CMA, Competition, Competition and Markets Authority, Consumer Change, Discounters, Food Retailing, Internet shopping, Jack's, Lidl, Market Shares, Mergers, Networks, Store Closures, Tesco | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Twenty One Years of UK Grocery Market Share

Posted on August 13, 2018 by Leigh Sparks

UK Grocery Market Shares are a little dependent on who you believe. In my case, I have chosen one group (initially TNS, subsequently taken over by Kantar) and stuck with them. I have wanted not to focus on the short-term … Continue reading →

Posted in Aldi, Asda, Discounters, Food Retailing, Lidl, Market Shares, Retail Change, Sainsbury, Tesco, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Embracing Failure in the Shadow of Success

Posted on July 24, 2017 by Leigh Sparks

This post’s title is the sub-title from a book I recently read.  It concerns Mick Channon Jnr and his relationship with his father, who he describes as “an arthritic workaholic grumpy old bastard” and only grudgingly as an ex England … Continue reading →

Posted in Academics, Bookmakers, Charity Shops, Closure, Consumer Lifestyle, Discounters, Heritage, High Streets, Local Retailers, Markets, Places, Planning, Pound Shops, Property, Regeneration, Retail Economy, Shopfronts, Social Inequality, Social Justice, Store Closures, Town Centres, Towns | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

An Unholy Trinity: Brexit, Marmite and Toblerone

Posted on October 18, 2016 by Leigh Sparks

Last week was all about a divided nation. Were you cheering or crying when Marmite was removed from Tesco’s shelves? The delicious irony that Dave Lewis, CEO of Tesco, used to work for Unilever, the makers of Marmite and various … Continue reading →

Posted in Availability, Brands, Brexit, Buying, Discounters, Food Retailing, Internet shopping, Marmite, Pricing, Product Sizes, Relationships, Stock, Supply Chains, Tesco, Toblerone, Unilever | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A quiet few weeks in retailing (not)

Posted on July 11, 2016 by Leigh Sparks

The last few weeks have been really quiet in retailing – no, just kidding.  What with Brexit – and the uncertainty it has generated – beginning to take hold in the markets, the unfolding BHS and Sports Direct scandals putting … Continue reading →

Posted in administration, Asda, Brexit, Discounters, Food Retailing, Lidl, Marks and Spencer, My Local, Netto, Sainsbury, Sports Direct | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Albert Gubay 1928-2016

Posted on January 28, 2016 by Leigh Sparks

Early in January, Albert Gubay died, aged 87. His is not a name that will necessarily be familiar to many people, but he was a true original in the field of retailing and more generally. Not many people amass a … Continue reading →

Posted in Albert Gubay, Discounters, Food Retailing, Historic Shops, History, Innovation, International Retailing, Kwik Save, Pricing, Retail History, Shoprite, Tesco, Three Guys, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Perfect Storm?

Posted on January 4, 2016 by Leigh Sparks

Are the storms getting worse now that someone has decided to give them names? Certainly by the time Frank had finished with my garden, I’d pretty much got the swimming pool I always thought that I had not wanted. And … Continue reading →

Posted in Black Friday, Christmas, Closure, Consumer Change, Costs, Discounters, Internet, Margins, Retail Economy, Retail Failure, Sales, Stock | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Musselburgh, the Scottish Grocers Federation and the Scottish Local Shop Report 2015

Posted on November 16, 2015 by Leigh Sparks

Some of you will recall that the Scottish Grocers Federation (SGF) organised a Study Day this year to Musselburgh, with the aim of looking at what the discounters have to offer and the competition that they “provide” to local convenience … Continue reading →

Posted in Academics, Aldi, Association of Convenience Stores, Competition, Convenience stores, Discounters, Lidl, Local Retailers, Poundland, Scottish Grocers Federation, Scottish Local Retailer, Small Shops | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment