Products bought from Lidl are an average 9% higher in price than those from Aldi, up from 6% in two years, The Grocer can reveal.
Lidl’s average unit price (AUP) stands at £1.72, having climbed from £1.62 in two years, while Aldi’s is £1.57, having risen from £1.52. It means the gap between the two has grown from 10p to 15p, according to Worldpanel by Numerator data seen by The Grocer [12 w/e 3 November 2024 vs 12 w/e 4 October 2026].
AUP is drawn from the barcodes of take-home groceries scanned by a panel of thousands of shoppers, considering only price per pack, including any loyalty discounts claimed. Because the data is blind to what the products are, a growing gap can reflect changing shopper choices driven by retailer customer strategies as much as it can movement in comparable prices.
The two discounters have pursued diverging strategies in recent years, with Lidl investing in its Plus app, which offers discounts on a personalised selection of products, while Aldi eschews loyalty in the conviction everyday low pricing will drive growth in the long term.
Lidl has increased funding for rewards in its loyalty app by 60% this year, while adding new features including points with every purchase and a scan & shop function.
Aldi has boasted of investing £340m in lowering prices for all shoppers so far in 2026.
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At the same time, Lidl has been growing sales much faster, by 7.1% year on year compared with Aldi’s 0.4% growth [Worldpanel 12 w/e 4 October 2026]. Lidl’s market share has risen from 8.2% to 8.6% in the past year while Aldi’s has slipped from 10.6% to 10.5%.
The latest data shows Lidl has a bigger share of brands in its sales mix, making up 12.1% of the total, compared with 7.5% at Aldi, [Worldpanel 12 w/e 4 October 2026]. Within own label, sales of Lidl’s premium Deluxe range have grown by 14% year on year [Worldpanel 52 w/e 4 October 2026].
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Sales of Aldi’s premium own-label Specially Selected range have also grown amid demand for luxury dine-in options. In March it boasted of being the UK’s second most popular supermarket for premium own-label food and drink, with Specially Selected sales up by 11% year on year [Worldpanel 12 w/e 22 February 2026].
In Grocer 33 tests using a basket of 33 comparable items, Aldi has come out cheapest on six of the nine occasions the two discounters have met since October 2024, with Lidl winning the most recent three.
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