Aldi UK cheers Christmas sales growth

Aldi has reported record Christmas sales, with demand for beers and wine high at the discount supermarket chain.

The company, which has over 900 stores in the UK, said sales in the four weeks to December 24 rose 10.6% compared with the same period a year ago.

Grocers were allowed to stay open during Covid-19 lockdowns last year, and Aldi said it saw a spike in demand for its premium products.

The retailer pointed to beers, wine and spirits being popular, with the supermarket selling 4.5 million bottles of champagne, sparkling wine and prosecco.  

The premium ‘specially selected’ range also performed well, including damson plum and pink gin pudding.

Giles Hurley, chief executive of Aldi UK, said: “We had a record Christmas with unprecedented demand for our award-winning products as customers pushed the boat out more than ever before.”

Hurley added: “We are expecting significant sales growth this year as we open new stores and bring Aldi to more locations across the UK. With the vast majority of our grocery products now coming from British suppliers, our growth will lead to additional jobs and investment in our UK supply chain.”

The firm last month said it would return the full value of the business rates relief it received during the pandemic.  It said at the time that over  £100 million will be paid back to the UK government and the devolved administrations.  

A number of supermarkets were under pressure to hand back rates relief after enjoying record sales during the coronavirus crisis.