Lidl GB delivers record Christmas trading performance with 12 per cent increase in overall sales

The discounter said the strong festive performance was supported by a surge in shoppers across the period, as 4.5m more people came through its doors in the month leading up to Christmas Eve, compared with the same period in 2022. Lidl GB said its busiest day on record fell on Friday December 22.

Sales of the Deluxe lines increased by 11 per cent, with best sellers including its Deluxe Macarons, Deluxe Christmas Pâté and Deluxe Christmas Crisps.

In a statement, Lidl GB said: “Christmas classics were also in demand as Lidl saw a fresh British turkey sell every two seconds during the week before Christmas, while it sold 2,000 tonnes of British potatoes, the equivalent weight of 50 lorries, and 1,600 tonnes of British carrots, weighing in the same as 230 tractors, priced at 15p per pack, as part of its festive pick of the week promotion.”

Jumper sales soared by 40 per cent while the Lidl Christmas socks became the best seller in the range, Lidl said.

The statement added: “Customers decked the halls like never before with over 1740km worth of Lidl Christmas lights, enough to get from John o’ Groats to Land’s End and back.”

Ryan McDonnell, Lidl GB’s 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.”

He continued: "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."

Lidl also continued its support for local communities throughout the festive season, donating around 750,000 meals to local charities and food banks in December.

Lidl GB, which launched in the UK in 1994, employs 31,000 employees, across 960 stores and 14 distribution centres in England, Scotland and Wales.

As part of the Schwarz retail group, Lidl is one of Europe’s largest organisations in the food retail industry. The supermarket, which has more than 376,000 employees globally, operates approximately 12,200 stores and more than 220 logistics centres and warehouses in 31 countries. The Schwarz Group, which operates worldwide as a retail group, generated total revenue of €154.1bn in the financial year 2022.