Tesco retains top slot as EDLP players shine in fight for market share

Tesco shows no signs of letting up its position of dominance in the UK grocery sector, according to the latest market share figures from Taylor Nelson Sofres.

Other EDLP players, such as Asda and Morrisons, also enjoyed solid growth, but Sainsbury's and Safeway's share dropped.

Tesco's market share rose by 0.7 percentage points to 26 per cent year-on-year for the 12 weeks to February 2.

Asda's share increased by 0.6 percentage points to 16.7 per cent for the same period, while Morrisons share rose by 0.1 percentage points to 6 per cent.

Gains at Tesco and Asda will have been assisted by strong emphasis on non-food ranges over the Christmas period, but Morrisons' increase came mainly from food sales uplifts.

Sainsbury's share dropped by 0.3 percentage points to 17.3 per cent, while up-for-sale Safeway dropped 0.4 percentage points to 9.8 per cent.