Aldi enjoys record Christmas sales as it continues its expansion across Suffolk

Aldi rang up sales of almost £1 billion in the UK during December as the discount supermarket experienced its best ever Christmas trading period.

The company said on Monday that sales were driven by customers switching from other food retailers amid higher demand for its premium ranges.

The retailer, which opened its 800th UK store in 2018, plans to open more in the coming years to reach 1,200 by 2025.

In Suffolk, Aldi has plans to more stores in Ipswich at Europa Way and in Martlesham Heath, and also in Stowmarket, Lowestoft and Newmarket.

MORE: Aldi reveals where its new stores will be in Suffolk and when they will openGiles Hurley, chief executive of Aldi UK, said: “Although we saw strong growth across all key categories, the standout performance was in our Specially Selected brand where shoppers treated themselves to premium products for a fraction of the price they would have paid elsewhere for similar quality products.”

The influx of customers meant that the week of December 17 was Aldi’s busiest-ever in the UK, with sales more than 10% higher than the previous year.

More than 17 million bottles of wine, champagne and prosecco were sold, along with 50 million mince pies and 100 million sprouts.

The latest update comes as Aldi’s UK market share stands at an all-time high of 7.6%, according to the latest Kantar Worldpanel data.

Mr Hurley said: “We begin the new year with great momentum as the UK’s fastest-growing supermarket and on the back of record Christmas sales.”