LIDL GB SET FOR RECORD-BREAKING CHRISTMAS AS CEO REVEALS SHOPPERS HAVE BEEN STOCKING UP FOR CELEBRATIONS

• Lidl GB has seen an 11% increase in shoppers over past six weeks
• CEO reveals that Brits are buying Christmas classics early with two mince pies sold every second since September
• Update comes as Kantar data shows shoppers have switched over £685 million of spending to Lidl GB over the course of the year
• As more households discover the discounter’s great value, Lidl’s £14.49 Montaudon Champagne beat high end rival Moet in an independent blind taste test

30th November 2023 – Lidl GB is preparing for a record-breaking Christmas, with an 11% uptick in customers over the past six weeks¹.

The update comes as Lidl GB’s CEO reveals that shoppers started planning and preparing for the festive season early this year, with two mince pies selling every second since September, and seven packs of its famous stollen bites selling every minute in September alone². In fact, one in five Panettones purchased in the country this year will be bought from Lidl. In the Middle of Lidl, gifts and decorations have also been flying off the shelf, with a mini snow globe sold every two seconds on the first day of sale earlier this month.³

The discounter chief revealed Kantar data showing that shoppers switched over £685million of spending to Lidl GB over the course of the year, as shoppers look to manage their budgets. Of this, £58million was switched to the discounter from premium supermarkets Waitrose, M&S and Ocado, with more and more households being won over by Lidl’s products⁴. 

Other products already flying off the shelf include Lidl’s Deluxe Lobster tails which went on sale at the end of September and have almost entirely sold out. Sales of its red wines are also up 17% over the past few months5, and in a recent independent blind taste test, Lidl’s £14.49 Montaudon Champagne beat high end rival Moet which can retail at almost three times the price (£43) of the discounter’s own label offering⁶.

Despite stocking up earlier, Lidl is predicting that its busiest day will be Friday 22nd December, with over 2 million shoppers expected to come through the doors of its stores. This would overtake its busiest day so far this year - Easter Saturday (8th April) - which saw a 13% increase in customers year-on-year⁷.

Lidl GB CEO Ryan McDonnell commented, “Christmas is an exciting time to work in retail and particularly at Lidl, where our colleagues and suppliers contribute enormously to ensuring that our customers can access the best quality seasonal products.

It goes without saying that the past year has been challenging for so many people but, despite this, we can see that shoppers have been in the Christmas spirit since as early as September when the first Christmas lines went on sale. Over the past six weeks alone we’ve seen a massive surge in the number of customers coming through our doors and it’s clear that households are getting prepared well ahead of celebrations.

We’re expecting this to continue so our teams are already donning their Christmas jumpers, ready to welcome a record number of customers over the busiest trading period of the year.”

Over the course of December, Lidl is also giving back to local communities, donating approximately 700,000 meals to local charities and food banks in the Lidl Feed It Back food surplus network. It will bring the total number of meals donated in 2023 to around 8 million.

Lidl is the fastest-growing supermarket in the UK8 and last month overtook Asda to become the third-largest supermarket in London⁹.

ENDS

Notes to editors

References

[1] Lidl data

2 Lidl data

3 Lid data

4 Kantar, Till Roll 52 w/e 29 October 2023

5 Lidl data

6 Tesco comparisons (Moet & Chandon Brut Imperial Non Vintage Champagne 75Cl - Tesco Groceries)

7 Lidl data

8 Kantar grocery market share, 12 w/e 29 October 2023

9 Kantar, Till Roll 52 w/e to 01 Oct 2023

About Lidl GB

Since establishing itself in Great Britain in 1994, Lidl GB has experienced continuous growth and today has over 31,000 employees, over 960 stores and 14 distribution centres in England, Scotland and Wales.

As part of the Schwarz retail group, Lidl is one of Europe’s leading organisations in the food retail industry. The supermarket, which has around 376,000 employees globally, currently operates approximately 12,200 stores and more than 220 logistics centers and warehouses in 31 countries.

The supermarket takes pride in providing its customers with the highest quality products at the lowest possible prices throughout Great Britain, from Kirkwall to the Isle of Wight. Social responsibility and sustainability are at the core of the company's daily operations, with the company placing a strong emphasis on its responsibility for people, society, and the environment. Lidl GB is passionate about working with British producers and sources two thirds of its products from British suppliers.

The Schwarz Group, which operates worldwide as a retail group, generated a turnover of €154.1 billion in the financial year 2022.

For more information about Lidl GB visit https://corporate.lidl.co.uk/