In July, volumes – in the large-scale retail sector – grew more than turnover (sales by value: 0.5 per cent; volumes: 0.9 per cent). This is a significant difference as it signals the end of inflationary pressure: in the four weeks ending 19 July, the Circana Price Observatory recorded a change of -1 per cent, whilst the year-to-date figure remained just positive at 0.1 per cent.
Superstores performed poorly – in July alone – (-1.3%).
In the year-to-date figures for 2026 , discount stores maintained a 20.2% market share and recorded a 0.4% increase in sales by value.
The annual figure therefore remains positive, but is significantly lower than the 2.1% for the packaged consumer goods sector as a whole. The channel is growing at a slower rate than the market and, as a result, is no longer able to gain market share at the pace seen in previous years…
I largely agree with Andrea Meneghini: discount stores are no longer ‘a novelty’ and need to reinvent themselves. And perhaps many customers now need a different, more ‘high-quality’ offering.
