As Brexit Nears, ‘Discounters’ Gain Ground in U.K. Supermarket Wars<br />Though the online giant’s Amazon Fresh and Pantry services are available in Britain, the company’s<br />market share here amounts to less than one percent, according to Kantar Worldpanel<br />“The difference in price,” Ms. Carr said, “it’s really significant.”<br />Aldi and Lidl, both of which are privately held, made their first ventures into Britain in the 1990s, focusing on price.<br />Major retailers like Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco<br />and Walmart’s Asda all jostle for market share by offering loyalty schemes, online shopping, home delivery and special offers (Amazon, by comparison, is a relative minnow in the grocery sector).<br />Spending at the two stores grew by double digits in the 12 weeks to mid-July, according to Kantar Worldpanel,<br />a research group, outpacing not only the wider industry but every other major supermarket.<br />Inflation was 2.6 percent year-over-year in June, higher than the Bank of England’s target,<br />and the central bank says it could rise to 3 percent in the fall.<br />The two retailers stock significantly fewer products — typically only a tenth as many as<br />competitors — with a greater focus on items sold under their own lower-cost brands.<br />The vote last year to leave the European Union, known as Brexit, damaged confidence in the economy,<br />and the pound has since fallen more than 10 percent against the dollar.
