English distribute more purchases: Who wins the Super War?

Os data from Worldpanel by Numerator show that the Candy Pingo and Lidl strengthened their position by june 2026, while the Continent stabilized after a year start more pressure. In turn Mercadona continued to expand its buyer base, driven by the opening of new stores.

“ The Portuguese market today is characterised by a high competitive intensity, where sustainable growth depends less on the ability to attract new consumers and more on the ability to increase the visit frequency, strengthen the value of the basket and consolidate the relationship with buyers”, explains Worldpanel by Numerator.

The results show that supermarket brands are taking different paths to earn quota: “In case of Candy Drop, the evolution maintained the trend observed at the beginning of the year, supported by the appreciation of shopping baskets through their promotional dynamics”.

TheLidl, in turn, continued to gain quota thanks to the increased frequency of purchase and the increased intensity of the relationship with its customers, demonstrating that more regular visits can be as determining for growth as the value spent on each occasion.”.

“ After a first quarter marked by increased competitive pressure, the Continent managed to stabilise its position throughout the semester, halting the previously recorded loss trend”, explains the company. 

In turn, theMarket maintained the expansion strategy of its commercial network and continued to increase its penetration among portuguese households, but “this growth of the buyer base has so far not had a proportional impact on the market share”.

Who's in charge? 

According to ECO, which had access to more data from the report Continent leads with a market share of 27.6%, followed by Candy Drop with 22.3%, thirdly follows the Lidl 13.8%, then Market with 7.4%. 

O Intermarché has a quota of 6.1%, followed by Auchan with 5.5%, then Aldi with 2.9% and E.Leclerc with 0.8%. Traditional grocery stores have a share of 6.3%. 

Customers distribute purchases more and more

Worldpanel by Numerator reveals that, in addition to price and promotion strategies, the analysis also shows a evolution at set level.

“In the case of Lidl, there is greater openness to the manufacturer’s brands, following the strengthening of its position on the market. This development translates into a more comprehensive commercial proposal, capable of responding to different consumer purchasing missions”, can be read.

Moreover, “at the same time, the data shows that portuguese consumers continue to distribute their purchases more and more by different insignia, choosing each according to the purchase mission and the value proposition presented“.

“ In this context, retailers compete on several fronts simultaneously — price, convenience, assortment and experience — making the market more dynamic and demanding”, the company concludes.

Looking only at the second quarter of the year, the results “strengthen the trends observed since the beginning of the year”, since “Lidl and Pingo Doce maintained the growth trajectory, although the winning rhythm of Pingo Doce began to slow down in the face of the first quarter”.

“The Continent consolidated the stabilisation of its position and Mercadona continued to increase its penetration, still without proportional reflection on the market share”, it can be read.