Are the better off hurting? If latest quarterly sales statistics from Kantar are to be believed, then the answer's Yes. Sales of own-label premium brands like Tesco's "Finest" and Sainsbury's "Taste the Difference" have fallen sharply.

Even Waitrose sales growth has slowed. And as for Aldi and Lidl?

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Taste the downturn

The success of the discounters, Aldi and Lidl, says Edward Garner from Kantar Worldpanel, "is a clear example of shoppers watching their purses, with both retailers continuing to surge ahead. Once again, they both achieve all-time record shares of 2.9% and remarkable growth of 26.1% for Aldi and 11.5% for Lidl."

Supermarket Sweep - Tips & Advice

Need to know: Savings



Market share growth remains steady for Asda and Sainsbury's, but there are market share dips for Tesco and Morrisons. Tesco's market share is down to 30.7% from 31.1%; Morrisons slipped to 11.9% from 12.1%.

Ordinary is okay

Sainsbury's market share rose 0.1% to 16.5% while Asda's remains solid, so far, at 17.3%.
Waitrose is still growing at over double the rate of the whole market but this growth has fallen back to 4.8% from 7.5% last quarter, suggesting there are signs the premium sector is slowing.

This is reinforced says Garner by the continuing decline of the premium sector. Premium own-label products have been in continuous growth since 2008 he says, "despite often being more expensive than their brand equivalent. Now however, they are declining by 6% year-on-year, while economy own labels such as Tesco's Everyday Value are growing at 13%."

Meanwhile the sodden conditions of the last three months hasn't helped retailers: the Office for National Statistics claims retail sales climbed just 0.1% in June, well below forecasts of 0.6%.

Save money on shopping

  • 1) Know the price of everything you buy
    <p> </p> <p> This takes time, but once you know the cost of a phone call, putting the dryer on, or a bag of potatoes, it enables you to judge far better how much you can afford to consume.</p>
    1) Know the price of everything you buy
  • 2) Shop around
    <p> </p> <p> Once you know the base price, you are in a position to keep your eyes open for a better offer. If you see a discount you can judge for yourself whether it actually constitutes a bargain. For bigger things like utilities it enables you to do a proper price comparison and see if you can cut your bills.</p>
    2) Shop around
  • 3) Trade down
    <p> </p> <p> Don't just assume that the premium range is better, try the every-day brand, or even the basic version and see if you spot the difference. Likewise, consider trading down your supermarket from one of the big players to local markets or discounters like Aldi.</p>
    3) Trade down
  • 4) Plan
    <p> </p> <p> If you plan what you buy to match what you actually cook and eat then not only will you be able to budget far more effectively, but you'll also waste much less and find your money goes further without you having to try.</p>
    4) Plan
  • 5) Think creatively
    <p> If you can't think of a way to get your meat for less, consider a vegetarian day once a week. If you can't find petrol any cheaper, then work on making your driving as efficient as possible. The more you can think of clever alternatives the less you will have to make painful cuts to make ends meet.</p>
    5) Think creatively


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