Pigs in blankets and poo assist increase Lidl Christmas gross sales
Lidl had its most profitable Christmas buying and selling interval on file, the grocery store chain stated, boosted by an increase of a 3rd in celebration meals gross sales.
Income rose virtually 7% to greater than £1bn over the 4 weeks to Christmas Eve as prospects purchased 16 million pigs in blankets and a turkey each second.
Gross sales have been additionally helped by a rise within the variety of its outlets this yr, though there are indicators that progress could also be slowing.
In the meantime, the chain has joined lots of its rivals in arguing that tax rises introduced within the Funds might result in job losses and better costs for purchasers.
The grocery store chain’s Christmas gross sales figures have been aided by its highest-ever variety of prospects for the interval, with two million extra purchasing there because it makes an attempt to match rivals’ market share.
The agency stated it had the best progress in buyer visits of any grocery store final yr.
Clients additionally seemingly opted for the German low cost chain whereas they have been wanting to save cash on alcoholic drinks, as champagne gross sales rose by 1 / 4.
Its UK boss Ryan McDonnell stated that he was “thrilled” by the rising variety of consumers.
Regardless of this, the 7% gross sales progress price seen over the important thing Christmas buying and selling interval in 2024 marks a fall from the 12% achieved the yr earlier than.
Lidl additionally grew its complete variety of supermarkets within the UK to greater than 970 final yr – which means the gross sales figures are usually not a “like-for-like” comparability.
In December, nevertheless, trade analysts at Kantar reported that Lidl was the quickest rising bricks-and-mortar grocer over the previous quarter, because it closes in on Morrisons’ place because the UK’s fifth largest grocery store group.
Wanting forward, Mr McDonnell stated that the agency was “excited to construct” on this momentum.
He beforehand instructed the BBC that whereas tax rises and modifications to employment rights would put “a variety of strain on enterprise abruptly”, these elements wouldn’t dissuade the retailer from investing within the UK.
A Treasury spokesperson stated in response to an open letter from November – signed by Lidl, Tesco, Amazon, Greggs, Subsequent and dozens of different chains – that it needed to “make troublesome selections to repair the foundations of the nation”. The GMB Union stated that retailers have been “pleading poverty”.
