German discount retailer Aldi has reported annual sales of more than £10bn in the UK and Ireland for the first time, driven by record Christmas trading. The company said sales in December were over 15% higher than the same month in 2016, with strong demand for both premium products and cut-price vegetables.
Top-selling items included mince pies, Aberdeen Angus beef roasting joints, and Irish cream liqueur, while the 'specially selected' premium range saw a 30% sales surge. Aldi sold over 6.8 million bottles of wine, champagne, and prosecco in December, equivalent to more than 200,000 bottles per day, along with more than four million mince pies and over 100 million packs of vegetables.
Matthew Barnes, Aldi's UK and Ireland boss, described it as the company's 'busiest-ever Christmas', with millions of festive shoppers switching from more expensive retailers. He noted that the performance of the premium range 'surpassed all expectations', indicating that shoppers knew they could indulge in treats at a fraction of the price elsewhere.
Aldi currently holds a 6.9% share of the UK grocery market, according to Kantar Worldpanel, placing it behind Morrisons, Asda, Sainsbury's, and Tesco but ahead of Co-op, Waitrose, and Lidl. The retailer also announced it will pay store assistants a minimum hourly rate of £8.85 nationally and £10.20 in London from 1 February, above the government's national minimum wage of £7.50 for over-25s.
Barnes struck an upbeat outlook for expansion, noting that over 400 towns and cities in the UK still lack an Aldi store. 'Shoppers in these areas consistently tell us they would shop at Aldi if they could, and we are committed to meeting this demand,' he said.
