Lidl has its busiest day ever as festive shoppers cut costs

LIDL had the busiest day in its 28-year history in Britain before Christmas as shoppers switched to cheaper supermarkets during the cost of living crisis.

The discounter said Dec 23 was its best day ever for spending as people turned to it to buy their Christmas food and drink. Sales in the month to Dec 25 were 24.5pc higher than a year earlier and an extra 1.3m customers visited in the week before Christmas.

Lidl estimated it won £63m of spending from rival supermarkets over the festive period. Its Christmas Puddings sales rose 185pc in the four weeks to Dec 25, while it sold 30pc more of its deluxe cheese range than a year earlier. Christmas lights and decorations sales were up by 85pc and 71pc respectively.

Lidl and fellow German discounter Aldi have grown their share of the grocery market. Lidl, the UK’S sixth biggest retailer in terms of sales, grew market share from 6.3pc to 7.2pc over the 12 weeks to Dec 25, Kantar data show.

The “big four” – Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons – all lost ground. Ryan Mcdonnell, chief executive of Lidl GB, said: “Every week of the year we are seeing more customers coming through our doors, switching spend to Lidl from the traditional supermarkets.”

Mr Mcdonnell said he expected to keep some of those new shoppers: “They switch to us to make savings, but then they stay with us when they realise that they’re not having to compromise on quality.”

Lidl was founded in Germany in 1973 and launched in the UK in 1994. It has 950 stores across England, Scotland and Wales employing over 28,000 people. Along with Aldi, Lidl has a reputation as a no-frills supermarket that offers value. Which? ranks Aldi the cheapest supermarket in Britain, followed by Lidl. Discounters offer lower prices by selling a smaller range compared to the likes of Tesco and Sainsbury’s, and by keeping their stores unadorned. Goods are often displayed on pallets or in hampers at Lidl, almost like a warehouse.

Lidl is expanding rapidly in the UK, with plans to have 1,100 shops by 2025. The grocer will open its biggest ever warehouse in Luton later this year.