Lidl has emerged as the “demonstrable winner in the discount channel” at Christmas after comfortably outpacing Aldi’s growth, according to Shore Capital’s Clive Black.
Lidl’s sales were up by 10% in the 12 weeks to 28 December according to new Worldpanel data published this morning, making it the fastest-growing bricks & mortar grocer and the only one to notch up a double-digit increase. Its sales were also up 10% in the four weeks to 24 December, according to Lidl’s own trading update on Friday.
Meanwhile, Aldi’s sales were up by 3.9% over Worldpanel’s 12-week period, while the discounter’s own trading update yesterday reported 3% growth in the four weeks to Christmas Eve.
The two discounters battled to promise the cheapest festive feast for a family in the run-up to Christmas, leading to a flurry of price cut announcements in mid-December.
“Lidl GB was the demonstrable winner in the discount channel in the UK in December 2025,” said Black. He said factoring in the roughly 40 new stores opened by Lidl in 2025, the numbers suggested like-for-like volume growth of 4.5%.
Aldi achieved volume growth of 0.4% in the 12 weeks to 28 December and 1.4% in the four weeks to the same date, according to additional Worldpanel data shared with The Grocer. The numbers suggest it raised prices behind wider grocery price inflation, which Worldpanel had at 4.3% in the four weeks.
Aldi also opened about 40 stores during 2025, taking its estate to about 1,080. Its market share is 10.1%, the same as a year ago.
Lidl’s share is now 7.8%, up from 7.3% a year ago, the biggest gain made by any supermarket. It ended 2025 with more than 1,000 stores.
GlobalData retail analyst Aliyah Siddika said: “Aldi appeared less able to win on price this season, with Lidl’s sharper value-led messaging and stronger growth indicating it attracted more of the most price-sensitive shoppers. At the same time, Aldi likely also ceded some spend to mid-market players such as Tesco, which placed a heavy emphasis on price this Christmas.”
Fellow GlobalData retail analyst Charlotte Chilcott said that for Lidl, “Lidl Plus, its loyalty scheme, played a significant role in maintaining momentum during December, with its Advent Calendar campaign, which offered weekly discounts leading up to Christmas.”
Commenting alongside the trading update on Monday, Aldi UK & Ireland CEO Giles Hurley said: “As we move into 2026, our focus remains unchanged – keeping prices low and quality high, so that every household in Britain can enjoy amazing food all year round.”
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