M&S has overtaken Waitrose for the first time outside of the festive period last month as it claims the title of Middle England’s favourite grocer.
Unpublished market data seen by The Telegraph has revealed that M&S outpaced Waitrose in sales over the past month, with stronger growth than any other supermarket.
Data from Kantar showed M&S held a 4.03% share of the grocery market for the four weeks to 3 November, compared with 3.76% a year earlier. Meanwhile, Waitrose’s share slipped to 3.91% during the same period, down from 4.02% a year ago.
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M&S also recorded the highest sales increase among supermarkets during this period, with a year-on-year surge of 11%. Compared to growth rates of 6.9% at Lidl, 6.3% at Sainsbury’s, and 5.8% at Tesco. Meanwhile Waitrose saw a more modest 1% increase, only outpacing Asda and the Co-op.
Analysts said the latest Kantar data were a “clear measure of the momentum M&S has”.
Last week, the business saw its half-year profits surge as clothing and food sales continued to soar, delivering its fourth consecutive year of market share growth.
The retailer said grocery growth was driven by produce, meat and dairy, as well as a strong programme of innovation, and having the “strongest value perception in over a decade”.
Profit before tax and adjusting items was up more than 17% for the period, hitting £407.8m.
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