Ocado and Lidl Lead UK Christmas Grocery Sales Growth, Tesco Maintains Strong Performance – Worldpanel Report

In the run‑up to Christmas 2025, British grocery sales saw modest growth, with online supermarket **Ocado** and discount retailer **Lidl** at the forefront of the increase, according to data from market researcher Worldpanel by Numerator. Total UK grocery sales reached £13.8 billion in the four weeks to December 28, a 3.8% rise compared with the same period last year, though actual volume sales fell once grocery inflation of 4.3% was taken into account. Ocado recorded a 15.0% jump in sales during the 12‑week Christmas trading period—its strongest performance in that timeframe—while Lidl posted a 10.0% increase, making it the fastest‑growing physical store grocer. Market leader Tesco also bolstered its position, with sales up 4.3% and market share rising to 28.7%, the highest since March 2015. Sainsbury’s grew sales by 5.2% and saw its share climb to 16.3%. In contrast, Asda struggled, with sales down 4.2% and market share falling to 11.4%. Marks & Spencer reported a 7.2% sales increase, though it is excluded from the official market share figures. Despite weak consumer confidence, food retailers outperformed non‑food sectors, and shares in Ocado, Tesco, and Sainsbury’s rose on the news. Further festive trading updates from major supermarkets are expected later this week. #UKRetail #ChristmasShopping #GrocerySales #WorldpanelReport #SlimScan #GrowthStocks #CANSLIM