Aldi cheers ‘best ever’ Christmas and commits to 2022 price pledge

Aldi has hailed its “best ever” Christmas after a jump in December trading as it also pledged to keep prices low amid a crunch on customers’ budgets.

The discount supermarket chain said sales increased by 0.4% compared with the same month last year, when grocery stores had been buoyed by lockdown measures affecting hospitality firms.

Aldi claimed that figures from research firm Kantar show it was the “only major supermarket” to increase its sales for December.

Aldi UK chief executive Giles Hurley welcomed the performance and said the retailer was boosted by strong sales of its premium product lines.

He also said the supermarket will commit to offering shoppers the lowest grocery prices throughout 2022 amid further concerns of a cost-of-living crisis after inflation soared to a decade high.

“There’s no doubt that 2021 was a long and difficult year for lots of people, but our amazing colleagues stopped at nothing as they came together to deliver the Christmas that our customers deserved,” he said.

“As we look ahead, the top priority for most families this year will be managing their household budgets in the face of rising living costs.

“As the cheapest supermarket in Britain, Aldi will always offer the lowest prices for groceries, no matter what, and continue to support our British farmers and producers.”

During the run-up to Christmas, Aldi sold more than 43 million mince pies and 118 million Brussels sprouts, it added.

The retailer, which has some 950 stores across the UK, is set to continue its rapid expansion over the new year, with plans to open more than 100 new stores.

Aldi said it will create around 2,000 jobs as part of the growth strategy.