The shake-up of food retail shows no sign of abating as the two biggest discounters reach a combined market share of 10%.

Aldi and Lidl are making a habit of notching up firsts.

The latest Kantar data brought another as the pair recorded a combined market share of 10% – doubled since 2012.

Year on year, Aldi’s and Lidl’s shopper numbers climbed by a million over the 12 weeks to November 8.

Their average spend per trip of £18.85 was 78p ahead of the total retailer average.

The likelihood of the discounters’ continued growth was one reason why Sainsbury’s shares slid after last week’s results, even though they were better than the City had expected.

Sainsbury’s holds up

JS has held up comparatively well compared to big four rivals during the grocery earthquake, perhaps because its bosses have gazed into their crystal balls to divine the future.

More than a year ago, Sainsbury’s finance boss John Rogers said he envisaged that discounters would speak for 15% or so of the grocery market by about the end of the decade.

There is certainly little sign of slowdown as Aldi and Lidl generate double-digit sales growth, although Aldi’s market share has stood at 5.6% for five months in a row.

Meanwhile, Kantar rival Nielsen’s industry data, covering the four weeks to November 7, showed that the big grocers had endured their biggest sales slip in more than a year.

Sales value and volumes dip

Across the industry, sales value was down 1.2% and volumes declined by 0.5%. That meant both metrics were down in three of the past four reporting periods. Nielsen observed this was “something that didn’t happen at all in the eight four-week periods prior to that”.

The conclusion must be that the upheaval in food retail has some way to go before it is fully played out.

“Ironically, as they grow, the discounters’ propositions are inching closer to those of the big four”

George MacDonald

Ironically, as they grow, the discounters’ propositions are inching closer to those of the big four.

Lidl last week unveiled its ‘store of the future’ complete with wider aisles, longer check-outs, toilets and baby-changing facilities.

The retailer said these would bring it “further in line with the expectations of the British consumer”.

The unanswered question is whether that convergence with the established players is a sign of eventual stabilisation of discount market share as envisaged by Rogers, or will Aldi and Lidl go on to take an even bigger portion of their competitors’ lunches?