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 have also been able to demonstrate that they can offer customers quality as well as value.

In the run up to Christmas, this became evident in the annual round of festive taste tests. For example, Aldi's specially selected luxury mince pies came out top in a test by consumer group 'Which?', while Lidl came joint second.

Our latest Consumer Tracker shows consumers have become very savvy at managing their budgets. They buy value ranges in some products so they can treat themselves and trade up in their preferred categories. This habit, borne out of the recession, is likely to stay. Canny discounters have recognised this and taken advantage by offering value and quality. Crucially, they have also been able to persuade the image-conscious British consumer that there is no longer a stigma attached to shopping at their stores.

Over the coming weeks and months, as both the economy and confidence improve, it will be fascinating to see how other retailers react and who comes out on top. However, with some commentators predicting a price war as the big four supermarkets look to address the threat from discounters, consumers could be the big winners.

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