Lidl has announced a “record” Christmas period, reporting a 10 per cent rise in sales as almost 51 million customers shopped at the discount supermarket in the run-up to the holidays.
The German retailer's UK operations generated more than £1.1 billion in turnover in the four weeks leading up to Christmas Eve.
Shopper numbers saw an 8 percent year-on-year increase, reaching an all-time high, and Lidl attracted almost four million more customers compared to the previous year.
Ryan McDonnell, chief executive of Lidl GB, said: “2025 was a record-breaking Christmas for Lidl, with more customers than ever choosing to shop with us.”
“By continuing to invest in low prices and championing British food, all without compromising quality, we have seen loyalty soar.
“As the fastest growing traditional supermarket, we have expanded to reach more customers across the country and offer exceptional value this Christmas.”
The increase in sales exceeds the 7% growth recorded compared to the same month of the previous year.
The figures see the group kick off the retail sector's festive trading updates, with supermarket giants Tesco and Sainsbury's following suit next week, alongside the likes of Next and Marks & Spencer.
Lidl said December 23 was its busiest day for shoppers, although it added that customers began their preparations earlier than ever, with 30 million mince pies sold from September onwards.
It said 11,000 tonnes of seasonal produce were sold in the final week before Christmas Eve, a 70% year-on-year increase, with easy-peel clementines among those in highest demand, with sales up almost 40%.
Other top sellers included its Comte de Senneval champagne, £9.99 for Lidl Plus members, which saw a 260% rise in sales in its busiest week, while also reporting triple-digit growth for its revamped Deluxe party food range.
Demand for pistachio capped a year of resurgence for the nut, as Lidl customers bought almost 100 tonnes of pistachio-based products during the festive season.
The group said its loyalty program, Lidl Plus, was a key factor behind the success of Christmas sales, with a 28% increase in the number of active members in November.
McDonnell added that the group would “continue to grow our presence”, after opening around 40 stores in 2025, taking its total stores to more than 1,000 in the UK.
It is currently the sixth largest food chain in Great Britain, according to Worldpanel experts, after achieving the largest market share gains in the sector in recent months.
Experts believe Lidl could overtake rival Morrisons, currently in fifth place, in the coming months if it continues its current momentum.
