Discounter says demand for premium lines helped drive its best-ever festive performance

Lidl has reported its best-ever Christmas in the UK, with sales rising by 12 per cent year on year.

It's been a record Christmas for Lidl GB

It’s been a record Christmas for Lidl GB

Image: Lidl

The discounter said it saw a surge in shoppers in December, with 4.5 million more people coming through its doors. Friday 22 December was its busiest day on record.

As well as selling a fresh British turkey every two seconds in the week before Christmas, Lidl reported that it sold 2,000 tonnes of British potatoes and 1,600 tonnes of British carrots, which were priced at 15p per pack as part of its festive Pick of the Week promotion.

Overall, Lidl noted that demand for its Deluxe range had helped drive the strong sales performance. 

Ryan McDonnell, Lidl GB chief executive, said: “I’m incredibly proud of our performance this Christmas in what was the busiest trading period in our history. As the fastest-growing supermarket in the country, we welcomed more customers through our doors than ever before and ensured that we delivered the quality and price promise they have come to expect from us.

“It’s testament to the incredible contribution of our colleagues and suppliers who worked so hard to provide a fantastic Christmas for the communities we serve.

“Deluxe proved to be a standout winner this Christmas with record-breaking sales as we saw customers not only start their festive celebrations early but trade up to premium lines across all categories. As we look ahead into 2024 and even higher footfall, we remain relentlessly focused on continuing to do what we do best - which is always offering the highest quality on the market for unbeatable value.”

Away from sales, Lidl reported that it donated approximately 750,000 meals to local charities and food banks in December.