Aldi reports record December as sales top £1.4bn

Discount retailer Aldi has reported its best Christmas ever, with sales up by 26 per cent during December.

Sales topped £1.4 billion in the month for the first time, reflecting the increased demand for value amid the cost of living pressures.

“This year, Christmas was all about family and football as people came together to celebrate in a way we’ve not enjoyed for years. I’m immensely proud of our amazing colleagues who once again went above and beyond to deliver an amazing Christmas for our customers,” Giles Hurley, chief executive of Aldi UK and Ireland, said.

“As the UK’s cheapest supermarket, we were able to help shoppers enjoy the Christmas they deserved and provide them with the highest quality products at the most affordable prices.

“As we head into a new year, our promise to customers is that they will always get the UK’s lowest prices at Aldi, no matter what.”

The retailer reported strong growth in fresh meat sales, with fresh poultry and pork options both up over 28 per cent. Sales of chilled desserts and fresh cheeses also went up, seeing an increase of almost 30 per cent and 50 per cent respectively.

Snacks such as crisps and nuts were up over 40 per cent as the World Cup coincided with the run up to Christmas for the first time.

Together, customers bought more than 48 million mince pies, 38 million pigs-in-blankets and more than 1,700 tonnes of sprouts in the weeks leading up to Christmas, the retailer added.