In the UK market, the traditional “Big Four” retail players, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons, have long since given space to newcomers Aldi and Lidl. In fact, where 20 years ago, Aldi and Lidl combined held 4% of the market, their market share now is 19%. The new top 4 sees Tesco on top with a 28% market share, followed by Sainsbury’s with 15%, Aldi accounts for 10% and Lidl stands at 9%.

This became clear at PLMA’s Private Label Summit in Manchester at the end of October. Adam Leyland of trade magazine, The Grocer, painted a picture of the UK grocery landscape. In answer to the question whether the UK is still the private label exemplar for the rest of the world, Leyland offered an “unquestionably yes.”

Marks & Spencer are the purest private label retailer in the UK, with a 96.7% own label spend share. M&S is expanding its store network and wants to grow to 420 M&S food halls by 2028. Discounters follow the ranking with Aldi scoring 91.6% and Lidl an 81.9 % own label spend share.

Shoppers aged 45 to 54 are the least loyal to grocery brands, as financial pressures increasingly influence purchasing decisions, according to IGD.

IGD’s latest research highlights how the rising cost of living is affecting different age groups, with mid-life consumers facing particularly tight household budgets. Just 35% of 45 to 54-year-olds consider themselves financially comfortable, while housing costs and household bills account for 49% of their monthly expenditure.

The findings also reveal differences in loyalty across multiple generations. 

Retailer loyalty is lowest among 55 to 64-year-olds, at 55%, while brand loyalty reaches its lowest level among 45 to 54-year-olds, at 51%.

For retailers and suppliers, the research suggests that demonstrating value is becoming increasingly important for retaining existing customers, rather than simply attracting new ones.

French consumers are approaching the 2026 holiday season with caution, as economic uncertainty and pressure on household budgets weigh on spending intentions. According to an exclusive LSA x YouGov survey, conducted on 7–8 September among 1,008 adults, 58% of the French population remain pessimistic about the months ahead.

While 75% intend to celebrate Christmas, more than half (52%) expect the current economic climate to change their plans. Of these, 75% anticipate reducing their overall budget, while 26% plan to invite fewer guests and 19% expect to cut back on family travel. Value for money will remain a priority, with 72% intending to pay closer attention to promotions than last year.

The outlook for festive FMCG is consequently difficult to predict. According to Circana, festive food products, including foie gras and seasonal chocolates, recorded a 1.8% decline in value and a 3.6% fall in volume during the 2025 season. Sales in hypermarkets were particularly challenging, with value down 3.9%.

Instacart’s decision to discontinue its Caper smart carts leaves supermarket groups facing a rethink. Carrefour Belgium’s trial is now on hold, while Morrisons is ending its smart cart pilot. Other retailers using Caper, including US Kroger, Wakefern, Schnucks and Australian Coles, will need clarity on future servicing and support as the business winds down by Q2 2027.

The withdrawal does not mean the technology failed with shoppers. Instacart reported Net Promoter Scores above 70 at established locations and claimed double-digit basket growth across retail partners. An on-screen “Got everything?” prompt reportedly lifted basket size by almost one percentage point. Separately, a 2026 Bayes Business School study of 12,418 shopping sessions at a German supermarket found smart-cart users spent 32% more and bought 25% more items on average.

The problem was scale, not necessarily shopper appeal. Instacart said retailer adoption had not grown quickly enough to justify continued investment. Smart carts require hardware, maintenance and systems integration; retailers must persuade customers to use them and demonstrate returns across stores.

Cyberattacks on supermarkets are posing new threats, with recent incidents showing that digital interference can have consequences far beyond websites, payment systems and customer data. 

On 2 November, supermarkets in Belgium, Luxembourg, Sweden and Estonia reported overnight refrigeration problems. Delhaize confirmed an IT incident affecting cooling systems in dozens of stores. Colruyt reported five affected shops, while Sweden’s ICA and Coop also experienced incidents. Investigations are ongoing, and there is no confirmation that the attacks are connected.

The incidents follow a major attack in France in October, when hackers manipulated connected refrigeration controllers at hundreds of supermarkets, forcing units into defrost mode. Temperatures reached 50°C, resulting in spoiled stock, fires at some locations and damage estimated in the tens of millions of euros.

Ten years after its creation, European buying alliance Eurelec is setting its sights on greater transparency in cross-border pricing. As the partnership between E.Leclerc, Rewe and Ahold Delhaize enters its second decade, understanding the differences in commercial conditions between national markets is becoming a central part of its agenda.

Operating across eight countries, Eurelec recorded purchasing volumes of €13.39bn in 2025, up 8.3%, and expects to approach €15bn in 2026. It now works with 46 major multinational suppliers, giving it a broad view of pricing practices across several European markets.

The alliance argues that purchasing prices for identical products, sometimes manufactured in the same factory, can vary by as much as 40% between countries. While differences in local costs, market conditions and commercial strategies may explain some of this variation, Eurelec believes that greater transparency is needed to understand the reasons behind it.

Aldi Belgium is strengthening its digital loyalty strategy by rolling out around ten exclusive promotions each week for app users, placing fresh food and private label products at the heart of the initiative.

The additional offers, which run alongside Aldi’s regular weekly specials, cover categories including fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, fish and the retailer’s own brand range. Discounts are automatically applied at checkout when customers scan their Aldi app, making the savings immediate and requiring no additional steps.

The move builds on Aldi Belgium’s loyalty programme, introduced across its stores last year. Members can collect points to exchange for free products or further discounts. According to Aldi, the programme has gained traction, with increasing numbers of shoppers regularly using the app.

Carrefour and Jerónimo Martins share the top spot in the 2026 CSR Retail Index, each scoring 13.3 out of 20, according to the report produced by ESSEC Business School’s Consumer Goods Chair and consulting firm BDO.

The second edition assesses the sustainability performance of 12 European retailers using 16 quantitative ESG indicators drawn from the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS). The indicators cover areas including Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse-gas emissions, waste, employee turnover, disability representation, gender pay gaps and sustainability-linked remuneration. Environmental performance accounts for 42% of the score, social factors for 35% and governance for 23%.

Carrefour retained its leading position, improving its score by 0.5 points, with governance identified as a particular strength. Jerónimo Martins climbed two places ending up in a tie with Carrefour, gaining 0.8 points through more balanced progress across environmental, social and governance measures.