As economic prospects worsen across Europe, grocery chain discounters such as Lidl and Aldi, both from Germany, are taking market share. They generally charge some 30 percent to 50 percent less for groceries than ordinary supermarkets. In France, according to TNS, a research firm, discounters increased their market share to 11.2 percent in the second quarter of this year, up from 10.5 percent a year ago, whereas the share fell at Carrefour, the world's second-largest retailer. In Belgium a local discounter, Colruyt, is gaining share at the expense of Carrefour and other pricier chains. Dutch shoppers too are trading down to discounters, and in Britain, where Aldi and Lidl struggled for years, they are now the fastest-growing grocers.
Source: The Economist, http://www.economist.com