Aldi’s Christmas cheer as it vows to keep prices low
ALDI promised to remain the country’s lowest priced supermarket this year as it celebrated its best ever Christmas sales.
Chief executive Giles Hurley said budgeting would be the ‘top priority’ for most families as the country faces a cost of living crisis.
Living costs are rising due to soaring energy bills and higher prices of other goods. Families also face higher taxes.
The Bank of England expects inflation to hit 6pc by spring while analysts have warned that the energy bill price cap could jump by more than £700 in April.
National Insurance rates will rise in April, costing taxpayers an extra £12bn.
The average shop is also becoming more expensive as grocery prices jumped the most in December since spring 2020, rising by 3.5pc from a year earlier.
Hurley said: ‘The top priority for most families this year will be managing their household budgets in the face of rising living costs.
‘As the cheapest supermarket in Britain, Aldi will always offer the lowest prices for groceries, no matter what.’
The comments came as the German discounter said Christmas sales topped 2020 levels, which were boosted by strict lockdown rules.
In December it saw a 0.4pc uplift from 2020, and an 8.1pc increase from 2019. It said it was the UK’s fastest growing supermarket.
Aldi was boosted by customers looking to shake off last year’s Covid-dominated Christmas by buying premium festive foods.
Its ‘specially selected’ range saw its highest ever sales and overall the supermarket sold more than 43m mince pies, 21m pigs-in-blankets and 118m Brussels sprouts.
Sales were also buoyed by it opening 50 stores over the year, bringing its total to 950. Meanwhile, the upmarket northern supermarket chain Booths laid its own claim to having had the strongest Christmas, hailing its best ever festive sales.
Sales grew 6.5pc from a year earlier in the last three weeks of December as it was also boosted by shoppers looking to celebrate the lockdown-free holiday with champagne, cheese and mince pie sales soaring.
Mince pie sales were 8pc ahead of Christmas 2020 while champagne sales jumped 21pc and artisan cheese sales were up 17pc, the company said.