Discounter celebrates record Christmas business

DISCOUNT GROCER Aldi reported record sales over Christmas as festive shoppers snapped up luxury products and cut-price vegetables.

The German supermarket said total UK December sales were more than 15 per cent higher than December 2016 and it made more than £10bn in sales during 2017.

The budget chain’s premium range saw sales rocket 30 per cent, with mince pies, Aberdeen Angus beef roasting joints and Irish cream liqueur among the top-selling products.

The group’s chief executive Matthew Barnes said: “This was our busiest-ever Christmas as millions of festive shoppers switched to Aldi from more expensive food retailers.

“Although we saw strong growth across all categories, the performance of our premium Specially Selected range in particular surpassed all expectations.

“This is a clear sign that shoppers knew they could indulge in Christmas treats and festive essentials at Aldi for a fraction of the price they would pay elsewhere.”

Aldi sold more than 6.8 million bottles of wine, champagne and Prosecco during December – more than 200,000 bottles per day. It also sold more than four million mince pies and in excess of 100 million packs of vegetables, including parsnips, sprouts and carrots.

The grocery chain also announced it would pay all store assistants a minimum hourly rate of £8.85 nationally and £10.20 in London from February 1, which Aldi said makes it the UK’s “highest-paying supermarket”.

The retailer, which has 762 stores in the UK, reiterated its long-term strategy to have a network of 1,000 stores by 2022.