Irish consumers are flocking to Aldi and Lidl as they feel the pinch of the recession.

The German discounters now have a combined market share of 13.6 per cent according to the latest figures from data consultants Kantar.

The research shows in the last 3 months, Aldi has attracted 100 thousand new shoppers, while Lidl has brought in 62 thousand.

Meanwhile, the two biggest players in the sector - Tesco and Dunnes saw their market share fell by 2.6 per cent and 1.3 % respectively.