Tesco and the German discounters Aldi and Lidl increased their share of the Irish retail market in 2003 while SuperQuinn rallied strongly after several years of flat sales.
But Dunnes Stores continued to lose customers and saw its share slip below 22 per cent for the first time, according to a survey by market researchers TNS.
Tesco's share of the sector for the 12 months to November climbed 0.4 per cent to 24.5 per cent, said TNS. But its chief rival, Dunnes, lost ground, with its share down from 22.2 per cent to 21.8 per cent. German discounters Aldi and Lidl showed strong growth, with combined market share up to 5.2 per cent from 4 per cent.
Superquinn, which grew its share to 8.7 per cent from 8.4 per cent in 2002, said the turnaround was due in part to early Christmas promotions and the opening of a new distribution centre in Dublin.
Tesco had a lucrative pre-Christmas, with sales in its Irish stores up by an estimated 22 per cent, the retailer said yesterday.
Group revenue climbed 16.7 per cent in the seven weeks to January 3, driven by strong demand for non-grocery products, Tesco said.
The group said it plans to raise around £810 million (€1.1 billion) through a share placing.
The funding drive will be used for expansion in the non-food sector and in international markets.
