Member Article

Morrisons "worst performer" of the big four supermarkets as sales fall 3.2%

Bradford-based supermarket chain Morrisons has been described as the “worst performer” of the Big Four supermarkets as sales fall a disappointing 3.2% in the three months to December 7.

Leeds-based Asda’s sales fell by 1%, Tesco sales fell by 2.7%, (its smallest decline in sales since June), and Sainsbury’s fell by 1.8%, making them the best performers of the “big four”.

Data from Kantar Worldpanel showed Morrisons’ market share fell to 11.2% from 11.6% this time last year.

The grocer has been attempting to win back customers by announcing over £1 billion in price cuts and and price-matching German discount stores Aldi and Lidl.

Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar Worldpanel, said: “Britain’s supermarket price war is ramping up ahead of the all-important Christmas period.

“Retailers are selling more items on promotion, leading to like-for-like prices falling by 0.7% compared with this time last year.

“Cheaper groceries are an early Christmas present for shoppers, saving them £182 million in the past 12 weeks alone but this puts pressure on the supermarkets.

“We expect grocery deflation to continue well into 2015 as the price war rumbles on.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .