Supermarket Tesco has recorded its highest market share in over a decade thanks to investments across the shopping journey, while Christmas sales also grew.
Like-for-like UK sales in the six weeks to January 3, 2026, rose 3.2%, while its UK third quarter sales in the 13 weeks to November 22 also grew 3.9%.
Group sales over Christmas grew 2.4% and 3.1% in the third quarter. Republic of Ireland sales also saw a rise of 3.3% over the festive period.
Tesco said its standout performance was in fresh food, with like-for-like sales up 6.6% to reflect investment in value and quality. Its “Finest” sales rose 13% and party food ranges were up by 22%.
Like-for-like sales in home and clothing rose 2.1% in the third quarter, rising to 4.4% over Christmas. Online sales grew 11.2% including extended Christmas Eve deliveries.
The grocer now expects to deliver group adjusted operating profit at the higher end of its guidance of £2.9bn and £3.1bn.
Tesco chief executive Ken Murphy said: “I am delighted with the strong Christmas we delivered for our customers. Our investments in value, quality and service drove further gains in customer satisfaction and strong growth in fresh food, contributing to our highest UK market share in over a decade.
“In addition to further strengthening our price position, we launched 340 new and improved own-brand Christmas products, including 180 in Finest, which once again delivered double-digit sales growth.
“We also recruited 28,500 additional colleagues for the festive period and offered an extra 100,000 online delivery slots in the week before Christmas, enabled by AI-powered scheduling tools developed by our technology and logistics teams. Online sales grew double-digit and Whoosh also performed strongly, with more than 250,000 new customers over the period.
“Competition is as intense as ever and we know value remains a priority for customers. We are determined to help customers make their money go further, and earlier this week, expanded our Everyday Low Prices commitment to over 3,000 branded products, sitting alongside Aldi Price Match on more than 650 lines and thousands of exclusive offers through Clubcard Prices.
“I would like to thank all our colleagues for the exceptional service they have given to our customers over this important period; this has been a real team effort. We are well-positioned for the year ahead and remain committed to ensuring customers get the best possible value by shopping at Tesco.”
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