Aldi and Lidl once again achieved record-breaking growth in the 12 weeks to 30 March, while grocery shares fell overall.

The latest figures from Kantar Worldpanel revealed a ‘dramatic market slowdown’ across the big four, with share growth of just 0.6%.

The figures are distorted by Easter falling late this year, which was included in 2013 data for the same period. Kantar predicted that ‘corrected’ market growth would stand at 1.5%, including 0.9% estimated growth from Easter sales, which would still be low.

On the other hand, Aldi reported its highest-ever growth of 35.3%, which boosted it to a record market share of 4.6%. Likewise, Lidl enjoyed a record-breaking month and now accounts for 3.4% of the market.

The ‘big four’ supermarkets faced declining sales over the 12-week period, exacerbated by the late falling of Easter. All have experienced share declines, with Asda posting the most resilient performance.

Waitrose held on to its record 5% share of the last period while The Co-operative retained its 6.1% share. Frozen food outlet Farmfoods reached a record share of 0.8%.

“Amid a challenging market backdrop, individual retailer growth might be expected to be restricted,” said Kantar Worldpanel director Edward Garner.

Grocery inflation stands at 1.8% in the 12 weeks to 30 March – its lowest level since July 2010.