After another tough year for retailers, Christmas 2013 came as
something of a relief, with the majority showing an improved
performance on the 2012 festive period. As we predicted in our
Christmas retail forecast, those retailers who mastered
click-and-collect did particularly well.
However, big supermarkets did not have such a merry Christmas.
They saw their festive performances eclipsed by the discount chains
which have seen a dramatic shift in their brand positioning and
consumer behaviour. Both these changes really came to the fore at
Christmas.
The leading discounters have been creeping up on their
mainstream rivals for some time, and have benefitted from the tough
economy, where price has been paramount for consumers. There is a
general perception among consumers that discounters are around 20%
cheaper than traditional supermarkets which has brought significant
numbers of new shoppers through their doors. But once inside their
stores, the leading operators
