Demand for Aldi fizz helps festive sales top 拢1bn
The discount supermarket toasted its "best ever Christmas in the UK" though did not disclose like-for-like figures.
Monday 6 January 2020 08:28, UK
Aldi has said demand for its champagne and prosecco range helped UK sales over the festive period rise to more than 拢1bn for the first time.
The German-owned retailer said the four weeks to 24 December represented its "best ever Christmas in the UK" with sales up 7.9% on a year ago.
It said this was driven by demand for beer, wine and spirits - with sparkling wine sales up 14% - as well as its premium food ranges and fresh British meat.
Aldi also said it sold 55 million mince pies, 22 million pigs in blankets and more than two million Christmas puddings in the run-up to Christmas.
However the company, which has been expanding rapidly, did not disclose like-for-like sales figures - a standard industry metric which looks at growth in stores that have been open for a year or more - though a company spokesman said they had been positive.
Aldi UK chief executive Giles Hurley said the performance of its premium "specially selected" range had "surpassed expectations" by offering customers products "for a fraction of the price they would have paid elsewhere".
The retailer also said it has been boosted by the success of its Christmas ad campaign featuring Kevin the Carrot and Robbie Williams.
Aldi currently has 874 stores in the UK and is aiming to achieve a long-term target of 1,200 by 2025.
Latest industry figures put its share of the grocery market at 8%, up from 7.6% a year ago.
Together with Lidl, Aldi has been gnawing away at the dominance of the "big four" supermarkets Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons in recent years.
Tesco, Sainsbury's and Morrisons are all due to report on Christmas trading during the course of this week.