Aldi Reports Record Christmas Sales as Shoppers Seek Festive Savings

The UK arm of German discount retailer Aldi has announced record Christmas sales, with revenues rising 3% year on year to £1.65 billion during the four weeks to 24 December. The performance reflects continuing consumer efforts to manage household budgets during the festive period.

The country’s fourth-largest supermarket chain experienced a particularly strong final week of trading, with sales surging 5% to reach £500 million. The retailer recorded its busiest trading day on 22 December, processing more than 57 million transactions across the four-week Christmas period, marking an all-time high for the company.

Aldi did not release like-for-like sales figures, which compare stores open for at least one year and represent the standard industry reporting measure. The absence of this metric follows the opening of 40 new stores during the past year, bringing the total estate to 1,081 outlets. The discounter maintains a long-term expansion target of 1,500 stores across the United Kingdom.

Consumer demand for the retailer’s Specially Selected premium own-label range increased by more than 12%, with products such as The Ultimate Wagyu Fat Roast Potatoes, Double Wrapped Pigs in Blankets and White Chocolate Ganache Pinecones proving particularly popular. The company sold more than 5.5 million bottles of sparkling wine during the festive season, alongside 56 million potatoes, 37 million carrots and 500,000 turkeys.

Giles Hurley, chief executive of Aldi UK and Ireland, stated that the Christmas period demonstrated “that a great quality Christmas can still be affordable.” He acknowledged that the festive season remains challenging for many households, despite an overall decline in food price inflation. Hurley confirmed that the retailer’s focus entering 2026 remains centred on maintaining low prices whilst preserving quality standards.

The chief executive had previously expressed concerns that the late November timing of the autumn budget could negatively impact consumer spending in the lead-up to Christmas. Rival German discount chain Lidl similarly reported record-breaking Christmas performance, with sales rising 10% to £1.1 billion during the same four-week period. The competitor attracted nearly 51 million customers, representing an 8% increase year on year.

Lidl also declined to provide like-for-like sales figures, having opened approximately 40 new stores during 2025 to exceed 1,000 total outlets. The chain recorded its busiest day on 23 December, though noted customers commenced their Christmas shopping earlier than in previous years, with 30 million mince pies sold from September onwards. Sales of easy-peeler clementines jumped nearly 40% in the final week before Christmas Eve, whilst the retailer sold almost 100 tonnes of pistachio-based products throughout the festive season. Lidl attributed part of its success to the performance of its Lidl Plus loyalty programme.