Lidl’s UK division recorded a 7% increase in sales during the four weeks leading up to Christmas, driven by strong demand for festive essentials like turkey and pigs in blankets.
This surge pushed the retailer's turnover to a historic high.
With 960 stores across the UK, Lidl announced its sales exceeded £1 billion (€1.21 billion) during the four weeks ending December 24, marking the first time the company achieved this milestone in its 30-year history in Britain.
The discount retailer, ranked as the UK’s sixth-largest supermarket chain, was also the fastest-growing physical grocer in the year to the end of November, according to research firm Kantar. During this period, Lidl achieved a year-on-year sales growth of 6.6%.
Owned by Germany’s Schwarz Group, Lidl GB reported December 23 as its busiest trading day of the festive season, calling it the retailer's "most successful Christmas yet."
New Store Openings Bolster Expansion
Ahead of the festive season, Lidl GB opened six stores on a single day, December 5. The new outlets included locations in Shinfield, Bovey Tracey, Downham Market, and Stirchley, along with a replacement store in Connah’s Quay and a refurbished branch in Chessington.
Looking ahead, Lidl plans to open 40 new stores across the UK in 2025, starting with eight outlets early in the year.
"This milestone reflects our unwavering commitment to delivering affordable, high-quality products to more households across the country, especially at a time of year when value matters most," said Richard Taylor, Chief Development Officer at Lidl GB. "Our teams are relentlessly pursuing expansion opportunities, and every store we open brings us closer to making this vision a reality." Photo by Brian Shaw, Wikimedia commons.