The Faraj List of Exploding Stocks Part 3.04 (FAR3)

Here is an interesting overview of the
supermarkets from a Scottish perspective:

.. Tesco tops Scots supermarket league table,

"TESCO and Asda between them will have provided the festive food for more than half of all Scottish households this Christmas as they tighten their grip at the top of the supermarket league table. Latest figures show that their combined share passed the 50% mark for the first time earlier this month and they now control 50.3% of all grocery purchases, up from 48.1% in the past year.

The increase was almost entirely down to the onward march of Tesco which now has 26.4% of the market and is closing in fast on the startling 28.7% share it has built up in the rest of the UK market. The American-controlled Asda chain also increased its share although at a slower rate.

Both continued to profit from the long and painful demise of the once-dominant Safeway brand which is being phased out under its new owners at Morrisons.

While the brand’s further drop in market share from 18.5% to 12.0% can be explained in part by disposals and conversions to the Morrison format, the combined Morrisons/Safeway operation still shed a further 3.4% share to hold on to just 15.9% of the Scottish market.

The figures also show the emergence of convenience stores group Somerfield as a genuine contender in the Scottish market following its £114 million acquisition of a package of small stores from Morrisons.

Despite its decision to close 22 of its 51 Scottish Kwik Save stores, it managed to increase its market share from 4.4% to 5.8% and is certain to see a further increase in the coming weeks as newly-converted stores come into the equation.

Sainsbury also gained from acquisitions to take its share to a best ever 5.8% and is also becoming a force to be reckoned with despite tougher times down south.

The performance adds weight to the view that new directors are beginning to get their act together and that its overall market share in the UK may have stabilised at around 15.5%.

There were also signs that the Co-op is managing to shed its rather old-fashioned image by attracting a few more customers while the market share of the independent chains and corner shops held up surprising well in the face of the onslaught from the major players".

With the price now reaching new all-time highs, the 10 yr Tesco chart says it all really ..