Lidl has recorded a spike in sales during the crucial Christmas trading period as its premium ranges wooed shoppers from mainstream grocery rivals.
The discounter said total sales increased 8% during the six weeks to December 30, compared to the same period last year.
Sales of Lidl’s Deluxe premium lines surged 33% year on year.
Lidl said the success of its top-tier products meant customers switched £58m of spend away from Waitrose, Marks & Spencer and the big four during the festive season.
Details of the success of Lidl’s premium ranges have been revealed at the end of a week in which mainstream grocers suggested shoppers were more “cautious” over Christmas.
Morrisons boss David Potts said sales growth within the grocer’s Best ranges was muted compared with previous years, while Sainsbury’s chief executive Mike Coupe said customers “downtraded” away from more expensive grocery products.
But Lidl UK boss Christian Härtnagel said he was “particularly pleased” with sales of its Deluxe lines in the golden quarter.
He said the premium ranges “registered strong sales increases and proved a major draw for new and existing customers”.
Lidl opened seven new stores during the festive period and plans to invest almost £1.5bn in the UK during the next two years. Its expansion plans include the opening of a new regional distribution centre in Doncaster in early 2019.
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