New transaction data shows even the most loyal grocery shoppers use three retailers, as supermarkets find very different routes to growth

LONDON, Sept. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Lidl has jumped from ninth to first for improving its ability to bring recent grocery customers back, as new transaction data reveals how the traditional idea of supermarket loyalty is being rewritten.

The Q2 2026 edition of Beyond Spend, the quarterly consumer insight report from Beyond: Putting Data to Work, finds that shoppers are maintaining relationships with several supermarkets at once, giving retailers very different opportunities to grow.

Even shoppers classified as Weekly Loyal Buyers use an average of three grocery retailers, while Weekly Bargain Hunters use six. A customer can therefore return regularly to one supermarket while using others for their main shop, top-ups, value-led stock-ups, convenience purchases or premium occasions.

Against this backdrop, Lidl recorded the strongest improvement in customer comeback during Q2, moving from ninth to first on this measure. It also finished first overall for Growth Momentum, second for Competitive Standing and second for Loyalty, as growth in customer numbers, share of grocery spend and return behaviour increasingly began to reinforce one another.

But Lidl is not the only retailer growing, and Q2 shows that the winners are not all winning in the same way.

Co-op recorded the strongest growth in the number of shoppers using it, despite having the smallest average basket of the ten retailers analysed at around £12. Its growth is being driven by capturing more shoppers and more convenience and top-up occasions rather than substantially larger transactions.

M&S, meanwhile, moved from tenth to first for Spending Shift, as customers allocated a greater proportion of their grocery spend to the retailer. The change suggests M&S is beginning to capture a greater role within the family grocery shop, rather than relying solely on premium, treat or convenience purchases.

Tesco remains the strongest established player, ranking first for overall customer reach, share of grocery spend and returning customers, while Aldi records the largest average basket in the analysis at £27.10 in June, demonstrating the scale of the grocery missions now being entrusted to the discounter.

The findings point to a market where growth increasingly depends on winning a greater share of grocery spending that already exists, rather than simply persuading households to increase their overall grocery budgets.

Paul Alexander, CEO of Beyond: Putting Data to Work, said:

"The supermarket loyalty card isn't the same thing as supermarket loyalty. A shopper can return regularly to one retailer, spend the most with another and use a third for a completely different job.

What Q2 shows is that retailers are finding very different routes to growth. Lidl is getting recent customers back, Co-op is reaching more shoppers and M&S is winning a greater share of existing grocery spend.

The future of growth isn't necessarily about getting customers to spend more. It's about getting them to spend more of what they already spend with you. That means understanding the role you play in the customer's grocery life today and where you have the opportunity to become more important tomorrow."

The report also reveals significant regional variation. In Greater London, for example, the average grocery transaction was £16.60 in June, compared with £21.60 in Scotland, while individual retailers occupy markedly different competitive positions around the country. Aldi is particularly strong in the Midlands, Wales and Yorkshire and the Humber; Lidl has notable strength in the South West and Northern Ireland; M&S has a distinctive position in London and Northern Ireland; and Co-op is materially stronger in Scotland.

The findings point to a grocery market entering the second half of 2026 with overall demand remaining relatively resilient, with competition intensifying for individual shopping missions, repeat visits and a greater share of customers' existing grocery spend.

A full copy of Beyond Spend: Q2 2026 can be downloaded here

Notes to editors

Beyond Spend: Q2 2026 is the second edition of Beyond: Putting Data to Work's quarterly consumer insight report. It uses anonymised near real-time transaction data from Fable Data to examine observed grocery spending behaviour, including customer reach, basket value, share of grocery spend, repeat behaviour, shopper missions and regional differences.

About Beyond: Putting Data to Work

Beyond: Putting Data to Work helps organisations turn complex data into better decisions that drive measurable commercial outcomes. Combining expertise in data strategy, engineering, analytics and AI, it focuses on closing the gap between insight and action, ensuring data is actively used to improve performance.

About Fable Data

Fable Data operates a multi-stack technology platform that anonymises and aggregates consumer spending data from multiple banks and credit-card providers across the UK and Europe. Its data provides insight into in-store and ecommerce transactions across merchants and sectors.

Media Contact

Louisa Osmond, Beyond: Putting Data To Work, 44 7977401235, louisa.osmond@puttingdatatowork.com, www.puttingdatatowork.com

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SOURCE Beyond: Putting Data To Work