Tesco has extended its market share dominance with its biggest increase since December 2023, according to new data from Worldpanel by Numerator.

The latest Total Till Roll data showed that for the 12 weeks ending 7 September, Tesco gained 0.8 percentage points year on year to reach 28.4%, with sales up 7.7%

However, it was Lidl that cinched the title of the fastest-growing brick-and-mortar grocer, up 11% to take 8.2% of sales, an increase that put it almost neck-and-neck with Morrisons, which holds 8.4%.

Elsewhere, Ocado continued its strong run, up 11.9% and outpacing the wider online market. Sainsbury’s also rose to 15.1% of the market on 5.4% growth, while M&S notched a 5.9% uplift in food sales.

Aldi’s share stayed flat at 10.7% with 4.7% growth, while Asda remained at 11.8%. Co-op held 5.4%, Waitrose stayed at 4.4% and Iceland at 2.3%.

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New data from Wordpanel, formerly Kantar.

Overall, the data showed grocery price inflation dipped slightly for the second month in a row to 4.9%, though household budgets remain tight.

Britain’s supermarkets saw sales rise 4.8% in the four weeks to 7 September, as families stocked up for the return to school. This saw the rise in sales of lunchbox staples, as spending on yoghurts jumped 26%, sliced cooked meats rose 17%, and cheddar cheese surged 24% over the fortnight to 7 September.

“People often start with good intentions and our data shows that this period is the most popular point in the academic year to bring a packed lunch to school,” said Wordpanel head of retail and consumer insight Fraser McKevitt.

Meanwhile, despite the overall childrenswear market for back-to-school dipped slightly over the summer, the data showed that grocery retailers grew ahead of the market at 8.4%.

McKevitt added: “The grocers clearly did their homework on back-to-school fashion. Value is still at the front of shoppers’ minds, and retailers have tapped into this. Average prices have fallen, and buyers have increased their basket sizes as they aim to make the most of the discounts on the table.”