Aldi enjoys record Christmas as premium own-label sales soar

Aldi experienced a “Christmas boom” in demand for premium own-label products, helping the supermarket chain notch up record festive sales.

The retailer generated £1.6bn in sales over the four weeks to Christmas Eve, marking its “best Christmas ever”. Total sales increased by 3.4%, with sales of seasonal Christmas products rising 10% year-on-year. Sales of Aldi’s premium Specially Selected range jumped by 12% compared with the same period in 2023.

Over the festive period the retailer sold almost 3 million British brussels sprouts, 400 tonnes of British beef and 350,000 fresh British turkeys, alongside 50 million mince pies and 25 million British pigs in blankets. Shoppers also bought products such as Christmas cakes and puddings as early as September.

The retailer also saw success with its ninth consecutive Kevin the Carrot Christmas campaign, with the advert topping System1’s brand-building rankings– a fact the retailer highlighted upon the release of its results today (6 January).

Which? named Aldi the UK’s cheapest supermarket in 2024 for the fourth year running, as well as the overall best place for Christmas shopping for the second year running. The supermarket was also named the Christmas Retailer of the Year at the Quality Food Awards.

Lidl delivers record festive sales with £1bn Christmas turnover

CEO Giles Hurley says the chain will continue to maintain the “price gap” between itself and other supermarkets.

“As we look ahead to the new year, which for many will mean the prospect of living costs rising again, many families will be nervous about what 2025 holds,” says Hurley.

“Against this background, our mission remains clear: we will not only remain the UK’s lowest-priced supermarket, but we will ensure the price gap between ourselves and the traditional full-price supermarkets is as big as ever.”

Aldi’s busiest day for trading was 23 December when it served 3 million customers, also the busiest day for competitor Lidl, which served 2 million customers. Likewise, Lidl delivered record sales over the period, notching up £1bn Christmas turnover for the four weeks to 24 December, alongside a 7% year-on-year rise in sales.

Increased sales of turkey, pigs in blankets, stuffing balls, champagne and gravy were credited to the record turnover. Lidl also achieved a maximum 5.9 System1 rating for its Christmas campaign.

Elsewhere, other supermarkets are cutting prices to retain customers post-Christmas, including Asda with its ‘Big Jan Price Drop’.

Morrisons has also added 500 everyday essentials to its Aldi and Lidl price match, while Co-op has announced plans to accelerate its convenience store growth with 75 new stores and refurbishment of 80 existing stores. A refreshed focus on its membership scheme and adding extra services to its stores is also on Co-op’s agenda for 2025.