How Aldi defied the odds to report a £1.65bn Christmas sales boost

Aldi has reported a substantial £1.65 billion in sales during the crucial Christmas trading period, underscoring that price continues to be the paramount concern for consumers.

The German-owned discounter saw total sales climb by 3 per cent in the four weeks leading up to Christmas Eve, processing a record 57 million customer transactions.

As Britain’s fourth-largest grocery chain, Aldi experienced a surge of over 5 per cent in sales during the final week before Christmas, with approximately £500 million passing through its checkouts.

However, this month-long performance represents a marginal deceleration compared to the previous festive season, which saw sales increase by 3.4 per cent.

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Last week, close rival Lidl reported a 10 per cent rise in Christmas sales as it made more than £1.1 billion in turnover over the four weeks leading up to December 24, but the two discounters do not provide same-store comparable sales for the period.

Aldi said price was “the biggest priority for shoppers in 2025, with customers seeking ways to celebrate on a budget”.

Despite this, customers traded up to its premium own-brand range, Specially Selected, which saw sales rise by over 12 per cent.

Giles Hurley, chief executive of Aldi UK and Ireland, said: “This Christmas proved once again that a great quality Christmas can still be affordable.

“We’re grateful that more people than ever chose Aldi for their Christmas shop and trusted us to deliver both quality and value during what remains a challenging time for many.”

Aldi said Tuesday December 22 was its busiest trading day over the festive period.

There was strong demand for key festive British-sourced meat and vegetables, with customers buying 56 million potatoes, 37 million carrots and half a million turkeys.

The group also sold more than 5.5 million bottles of sparkling wine over the festive period.

The German discounters have kicked off the festive reporting season from the supermarket sector, with Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer to follow later this week.

In September, Aldi announced a further £1.6 billion of investment to accelerate its UK supermarket expansion, with 80 openings planned over the next two years.

The chain, which currently has around 1,060 stores, has previously said it is targeting 1,500 locations across the UK.