The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has provisionally decided that Aldi and Lidl should face the same land rules as other major supermarkets.
The discounters should be subject to rules set out in the 2010 Controlled Land Order, which already apply to seven of the UK’s biggest grocers – Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, Co-op, M&S and Waitrose – the CMA has said following a review and consultation.
The Order bans supermarkets from having clauses in land deals designed to block rivals from opening stores nearby.
“We want everyone to have the best choice of supermarket and range of prices when buying their groceries,” said Juliette Enser, the CMA’s executive director of competition enforcement and markets. “To ensure this happens, we put rules in place to prevent big supermarket chains blocking rival stores from opening nearby – and now we propose applying those rules to Aldi and Lidl too.”
The provisional decision is the outcome of a consultation launched in March. The CMA is yet to deliver a final decision, and is inviting stakeholders to submit views on its provisional findings by 5pm on Monday 7 September 2026. The authority said it would consider these responses before reaching a final decision in the autumn.
“This is about allowing shoppers to choose where they spend their money and levelling the playing field for all major supermarkets,” added Enser. “Today’s proposals are provisional and we welcome views before deciding the best way forward.”
Aldi and Lidl are not currently covered by the 2010 Order because they were considered ‘limited assortment discounters’ (LADs), as opposed to ‘large grocery retailers’, when it was drawn up.
The CMA’s provisional findings are that they no longer qualify as LADs because they each have stores of over 10,000 sq ft, carry a full grocery range, and buy direct from suppliers through their own integrated wholesaling functions.
In May the CMA published responses to its initial consultation from Sainsbury’s, Morrisons and Iceland, in which they demanded Aldi and Lidl be added to the Order. Sainsbury’s said competition was being “distorted” by Aldi and Lidl’s ability “to restrict entry and expansion by competitor grocery retailers in local markets”.
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