ASDA appears to set to overtake Sainsbury's as the north's second favourite supermarket if current trends continue.
Sainsbury saw the greatest decline in sales according to the latest figures from analysts Kantar Worldpanel.
They recorded a 3.8 per cent decline in consumer spending at the chain over the year to October 11 giving it a 17.5 per cent share of Northern Ireland's overall market.
That's just .1 percentage point ahead of Asda where sales grew 2.2 per cent.
Asda arrived in the north a decade ago when it bought the former Safeway stores from rival Morrisons.
It now runs 16 supermarkets and one Asda Living outlet in Northern Ireland.
Tesco remains by far the most popular supermarket in the north with a 34.8 per cent share of the market.
Discounter Lidl meanwhile saw its share climb to 5.1 per cent following a 21.4 per cent rise in spending in its stores.
Spending overall grew by 0.5 per cent which was eclipsed by shoppers in the Republic where shoppers spent 2.1 per cent more year on year.
Kantar Worldpanel director David Berry said it was "the most positive performance the market has seen in over five years".
"The growth in sales this period was ahead of the rate of inflation, indicating that consumers are becoming less restrictive in what they buy and adding extra items to their baskets.
“With the countdown to Christmas now under way and seasonal items appearing on the shelves, the battle to win during this vital season is on. Intense competition means that consumers are already seeing a range of strong offers as retailers try to outdo each other on price and quality, and this will only continue as Christmas approaches.”
Little separates the top three chains in the Republic with Tesco, Supervalu and Dunnes on 24.5 per cent, 24.4 per cent and 23.2 per cent respectively.
