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LONDON -(Dow Jones)- Sales at upmarket U.K. supermarket chain Waitrose jumped 8.4% in the four weeks to June 13 from a year earlier, bolstered by the roll-out of its own-brand grocery range, according to market research firm Nielsen Tuesday.
Waitrose, a unit of John Lewis Partnership, launched its essential range in March, aimed at attracting price-conscious consumers who are buying cheaper have been buying groceries elsewhere during the economic downturn.
Waitrose, which counts Marks & Spencer Group PLC (MKS.LN) as its main rival, operates 212 supermarkets across the country. Marks & Spencer's sales rose 2.2%.
Sales at William Morrison Supermarkets PLC (MRW.LN) and Asda Group Ltd. jumped 8% and 7.9% respectively over the four-week period, according to Nielsen.
J Sainsbury PLC's (SBRY.LN) sales growth slowed to 6.5% in the last four weeks, "possibly as shoppers experiment with Waitrose," Nielsen said. Sales at Tesco PLC (TSCO.LN), the U.K.'s biggest retailer by sales, were up 5.7% over the four-week period.
Separately, Taylor Nelson Sofres said Tuesday that Waitrose's U.K. grocery market share was steady at 3.9% in the 12 weeks to June 14 from a year earlier. Tesco's local grocery market share slipped to 30.8% from 30.9% during the 12-week period as rivals cut prices and increased promotions.
Asda and Sainsbury's grocery market share rose to 16.8% and 16.1%, respectively. Morrison's rose to 11.6%.
-By Lilly Vitorovich, Dow Jones Newswires; 44-0-207 842 9290; lilly.vitorovich@dowjones.com