The Battle for No.2 Intensifies

“The latest TNS Worldpanel grocery market share figures published today, for the 12 weeks ending 21 May 2006, show Asda still holding on to the No.2 spot with 16.4% share. Recent aggressive price cuts have helped lift the year-on-year growth rate to 4% (the highest level for the last 16 periods) and, as a result, the share decline has halted for this period.

The Sainsbury recovery continues with the year-on-year growth rate remaining at a healthy 5% lifting the share from 15.8% last year to 16.0% now. However a comparison of the Asda and Sainsbury year-on-year trends shows that the contest for No.2 grocery retailer is remarkably hotly fought.

Tesco continues to grow ahead of the market which naturally lifts the share to another record – 31.1%.

The Morrisons / Safeway share has now been stable for the last 12 periods so the negative impact of the store sell-offs can now be consigned to history and true retailing performance assessed going forward.

The Kwik Save decline from 1.8% to 0.8% is the natural result of sell-off of most of the outlets by the Tchenguiz consortium. The other side of this coin is the growth posted by Lidl and Aldi who have acquired some of the Kwik Save outlets.”

About TNS:
TNS is a market information group:

- The world’s largest provider of custom research and analysis
- A leader in political and social polling
- A major supplier of consumer panel, media intelligence and TV and radio audience measurement services.

TNS operates across a global network in over 70 countries, allowing us to provide internationally consistent, up-to-the-minute and high quality information and analysis.

The group’s employees deliver innovative thinking and excellent service to local and multi-national clients worldwide. In the custom business, they combine in-depth sector knowledge with expertise in the areas of new product development, positioning and segmentation research, brand and advertising research and stakeholder management.

TNS’ strategic goal is to be recognised as the global leader in delivering value added information and insights that help our clients to make more effective decisions.

TNS is the sixth sense of business.

www.tns-global.com

About TNS Worldpanel:

Worldpanel is TNS's continuous consumer panel sector, delivering insight into consumer purchasing and usage habits on a local and global scale.

Our coverage extends to more than 50 countries worldwide with services typically based on continuously monitored samples providing information on purchasing and usage activity. We use data collection technology best matched to the development of the environment that we are measuring, including bar code scanners, Internet, till receipt scanning as well as paper diaries and interviewing.

Worldpanel works closely with a wide range of clients including multi-national and local FMCG brand and private label manufacturers, fresh food suppliers, retailers, market analysts and government organisations.