Sainsbury's is number two

Sainsbury's has overtaken Asda to become UK's number two supermarket, according to market share figures released today.

The data, compiled by market research company AC Nielsen, gives Sainsbury's a 15.3 per cent market share, compared with Asda's 15.2 per cent. Sales were measured for the 12 weeks to March 25.

According to AC Nielsen, Sainsbury's shoppers are visiting more frequently and new customers are being lured into stores. At the end of last month, the retailer announced its fifth consecutive quarter of like-for-like sales growth.

Market share data from rival monitor TNS is also used widely in the grocery industry. TNS results released on March 8 gave Asda a 16.6 per cent share and Sainsbury 16.2 per cent, prompting speculation that Sainsbury's was poised to take over as the UK's number two.