Discount supermarket Lidl has revealed its sales jumped by almost a quarter over the key festive period as it said it was buoyed by shoppers switching from rivals amid budget concerns.
The retailer said sales increased by 24.5% over the four weeks to December 25, compared with the same period last year.
It added that it welcomed 1.3 million more customers to stores over the week prior to Christmas compared with the previous year.
This included the supermarket chain’s “busiest-ever day of trading in 28 years” on Friday December 23 as shoppers sought to buy last-minute Christmas groceries.
As people turned to the discounter for seasonal staples, its ‘Pick of the Week’ Christmas veg at 19p each saw sales jumping by over a third (37%)
Festive treats also topped shopping lists with Lidl’s Deluxe 24 Month Matured Christmas Pudding sales increasing by 185% year on year. Traditional Christmas classics remained popular with 1.7m glasses of Lidl mulled wine served, and sales of its Deluxe own-label cheese range increased by nearly 30%.
Ryan McDonnell, CEO at 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. We know 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, and this Christmas was no exception.
“Our strategy - great quality products at low prices - has remained the same since we first opened our doors over 28 years ago. But that is only because it’s as relevant now as it ever has been. It is working because we are seeing big switching gains with over £63m of spend moving to us in the four weeks to the 25 of December. We only see this momentum continuing in 2023.”
Sales of Christmas lights and decorations were up 85% and 71% respectively. It was also the season for giving, with over 1.8 million rolls of wrapping paper sold, equating to over 6,000 miles – the distance from London to the North Pole and back again.
Lidl shoppers also showed their generosity through the supermarket’s initiatives supporting the wider community, with over 60,000 new and unopened toys and games being donated to families in need over Christmas through its Lidl Bear Toy Bank. Following its pledge to make its largest community food donation ever, the equivalent of 1 million meals were donated through surplus food donations. On Christmas Eve alone, the retailer donated approximately 150,000 meals to those in need.
Mr McDonnell added: “As we head into another new year, we’re laser focused on strengthening our infrastructure across the country. As we continue with the expansion of our distribution centres in Belvedere and Bridgend, we’re set to open our biggest ever warehouse in Luton later this year. This doubles down on our efforts of giving more communities access to our unrivalled quality-value combination, something that’s particularly important as families continue to tighten their belts in the current climate.”
