Jan. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Wal-Mart Stores Inc.’s Asda supermarket chain increased its U.K. market share to 17.1 percent in the 12 weeks ended Dec. 24 from 16.7 percent in the same period a year earlier, Nielsen said in a statement.

Tesco Plc’s share dropped to 28.9 percent from 29.3 percent, while J Sainsbury Plc and William Morrison Supermarkets Plc were unchanged. U.K. consumers spent 4 billion pounds at supermarkets in the week before Christmas, Nielsen said.

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