Tesco leads UK supermarkets in Christmas social media win

Tesco has emerged as the strongest performer among UK supermarkets on social media this Christmas, generating the highest festive engagement and earned media value as retailers shifted more of their seasonal marketing battle online.

Data from influencer marketing platform Kolsquare shows Tesco far ahead of rivals on earned media value (EMV), a metric that estimates the worth of social content created by influencers and consumers. Tesco generated EMV of £2.6 million, compared with Asda on £856,000 and M&S Food on £811,000.

These three brands formed the leading group for Christmas 2025 social media performance, with Tesco also securing the largest share of engagement on Instagram and building one of the most extensive creator networks of the season.

The emotional outlier

Waitrose attracted significant attention for its romcom-style festive advert fronted by Keira Knightley and Phil. The hero Instagram post for the campaign reached 105,000 likes and became one of the most discussed supermarket ads of the season.

The supermarket's wider social media performance did not match that initial response. Waitrose partnered with 81 creators, which was far below Tesco's network of 286 influencers. Supporting content struggled to maintain momentum, with the "How to Say It With Food" reels featuring Joanna Page and Mathew Horne peaking at 13,700 likes.

This placed Waitrose well behind competitors on engagement-based share of voice. The brand accounted for just 2.5% of Instagram engagement among the major supermarkets tracked.

Tesco's creator network

Tesco relied less on a single hero film and more on a broad ecosystem of influencers producing short-form content around food, gifting and seasonal routines. Its TV ad, "That's What Makes It Christmas", recorded 6,278 likes on Instagram, which was modest next to some competitors' hero spots.

The supermarket offset this through scale and breadth in influencer marketing. Tesco worked with 286 creators in total, of whom 64 were on TikTok and 222 on Instagram. Content spanned themes such as hosting, decorating, meal planning and coping with festive pressures.

This approach translated into the highest engagement levels of any grocer on Instagram. Tesco drove 188,400 Instagram interactions and a 41.7% share of voice for engagement. The brand finished more than 100,000 interactions ahead of Sainsbury's, which recorded 84,700 interactions.

Everyday content creators sat at the centre of Tesco's performance. Influencer @laurenscravings, who has 180,000 followers, generated 3.17 million views for a reel featuring a Yorkshire Pudding Toastie, which became one of the standout food posts of the season. Home and lifestyle creator @thehomethestimsonsmade drew 1.54 million views for a Tesco reel from a base of just 9,900 followers.

"Tesco's success this year showcases that a broad and consistent creator strategy can outperform even the most cinematic Christmas TV spots in terms of engagement and impact," said Tristan Ruch, Chief Marketing Officer, Kolsquare.

Lidl's 'Wrapped' moment

Lidl posted the strongest single seasonal concept with its 'Lidl Wrapped' campaign. The idea referenced Spotify Wrapped and used local shopper data to generate bespoke wrapping paper designs based on the most-bought products in each city.

The initiative drove EMV of £385,000 on Instagram and 6.99 million views on Lidl's own account. The supermarket extended the concept offline with a free gift-wrapping tour visiting cities across the UK.

Creators such as @thedarcytwins added reach, generating 51,800 views for content showcasing the wrapping designs. Celebrity couple Joe Swash and Stacey Solomon fronted a related "Your 2025 Shopping Experience Wrapped" series.

M&S and Asda strategies

M&S Food relied on continuity and recognisable brand assets. It again used Dawn French as a central character in its festive advertising, which delivered one of the most familiar supermarket campaigns of the season.

The retailer worked with 274 influencers on Instagram, the highest creator volume of any supermarket tracked. Its main festive spot generated 28,500 likes on Instagram.

Despite this breadth, M&S placed third on EMV behind Tesco and Asda. The brand did not produce viral cultural moments on the scale of Tesco's food hacks or Lidl's Wrapped concept.

Asda focused heavily on TikTok-friendly activations that aligned with family and entertainment themes. The supermarket recorded EMV of £856,000, placing it second overall on that measure.

One of Asda's most visible posts came from creator @daniellemsands23, whose reel about an Asda festive movie night attracted 4.3 million plays. This helped anchor Asda's presence within TikTok's home and lifestyle niches.

Sainsbury's mixed results

Sainsbury's brought back the BFG character for a second year in its Christmas advertising. The creative approach emphasised warmth and storytelling.

The advert struggled to gain traction on Sainsbury's own Instagram channel, which registered only 1,751 views for the main spot. Influencers compensated for the brand's weaker owned-channel performance.

Creator @kimberlys_journeyy generated 1.22 million views for a Sainsbury's festive reel. This underlined the reliance of supermarket marketers on third-party voices for reach and engagement.

"The Christmas 2025 supermarket social media rankings underline that creators are no longer a bolt-on to festive campaigns, but the backbone of how brands reach and resonate with audiences online," said Ruch.