// Aldi and Lidl’s growth has been hampered as UK shoppers buy based on more than price, according to ex-Sainsbury’s boss Justin King
// King believes the discounters will hold a “mid-to-high-teens” percentage market share by 2030
Discounters Aldi and Lidl hold a smaller UK market share than the Big Four as UK shoppers don’t choose where to do their weekly shop based simply on price, said former Sainsbury’s chief executive Justin King.
The ex-supermarket boss told the Full & Frank podcast: “I can remember around 2010, the centre of gravity of most analysts was that discounters would probably have 25% of market share by 2020
“They [Aldi and Lidl] today enjoy 12 or 13 % between the two of them. That’s very significant because it’s grown from a small percentage but is nowhere near as significant as many predicted.”
King, who is also a non-executive at M&S, explained that consumers’ perception of value for money is more complex than just price tag and insisted that elements such as quality, level of service, business ethics, and even the safety levels of a supermarket’s car park are all taken into account.
READ MORE: Aldi beats Lidl to be crowned cheapest supermarket of the year
Despite the fact that Aldi and Lidl’s market share will continue to grow, King predicted that the pair would not becoming the most dominant supermarkets in the UK any time soon.
”To some extent, you can backsolve what they may or may not achieve from the number of stores they’ve announced they’re going to open,” he said.
“That still leaves me believing that a mid-to-high-teens percentage market share is the likely outcome if you take, say a 2030 view.”
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