Just short of 1,500 new discount stores were opened across the UK over the last five years according to the Local Data Company.
A new report from LDC shows that between 2010-2015 supermarkets grew by 33% and discount stores by 52%. A total of 1,487 discount stores were added and 570 supermarkets.

In 2015, discount store growth was three times as fast as the big four supermarkets. Each discount store grew on average by 34 units compared to the big four supermarkets, which grew by an average 10 units each.

LDC director Matthew Hopkinson said: "This analysis of the rise and increasingly fall of the supermarkets and discounters over the last five years clearly illustrates the fierce competition and the resulting decline in sales that the big four supermarkets have experienced. Poundland's acquisition of 99p Stores was the first sign of any consolidation within the discounter market which has shown explosive growth at 52% over the last five years.

"The result has been not only the closure of supermarkets but most recently some disounters have also closed some stores of which Poundstrecher is an example. Overall the discounter march continues as seen by the second half of 2015 when 120 new discount shops opened whilst in the same period 12 supermarkets closed.

"Supermarkets are addressing their space and offer issues with some vigour and a degree of success, and as these plans come to fruition it will be interesting to see how the discounters are impacted and react."