Analysis from financial institution Zable of eight retailers has revealed a clear divide between shoppers in the south and north of England.
The data, which looks at transaction volumes, spending patterns and purchase timings, shows that Sainsbury’s is performing especially well in London, where it represents 24.9% of all supermarket transactions.
Asda, meanwhile, holds its strongest market share across northern and post-industrial towns and cities. In Wigan, nearly three in ten supermarket transactions (29.1%) take place at Asda, while the retailer also leads in locations including Newcastle, Bolton and Wakefield.
Hover over the below interactive map to see percentage split.
The data also shows different preferences for stores across the generations, with 35.6% shopping at Waitrose and 34.6% at M&S aged 50+. This gives these retailers the oldest customer base of any analysed in the study.
Meanwhile, discounters Asda, Lidl and Asda prove popular among middle-aged householders (40-49-year-olds), suggesting a more cost-conscious mindset for this group.
Overall, Tesco is identified as the most popular supermarket among Brits with more than a third of overall (33.6%) market share.
Sainsbury’s claims second spot, followed closely by Asda at 14.88% and 14.41% respectively.