Aldi UK reports record holiday season
Aldi UK reported its “best Christmas ever” in 2021, citing a raise in sales compared to the previous record holiday season.
Sales in December rose 0.4% compared to the 2020 thanks to the chain’s own brands, when grocery spending was higher than usual due to the national lockdown and temporary closure of bars and restaurants. Aldi says it was the only major supermarket to grow sales in the three months before Christmas, and its sales increased 8.1% in 2019. Leading up to the season, Aldi UK launched its collection of signature holiday apparel.
“As the UK’s fastest growing supermarket in 2021, our premium Specially Selected range notched up its highest ever sales,” said Giles Hurley, CEO of Aldi UK. “We saw strong demand for our award-winning beers, wines and spirits. Standout popular products included our Specially Selected Exquisite Chesham Bronze Turkey as well as our English Sparkling Wine.”
During the run up to Christmas, Aldi sold more than 43 million mince pies, 21 million British pigs-in-blankets and 118 million Brussels sprouts. Its shoppers also bought more than 5.5 million bottles of champagne, sparkling wine and prosecco for Christmas and New Year celebrations.
“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,” added Hurley. “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.”
Aldi UK also saw success from the return of a familiar TV advertisement. Kevin the Carrot helped attract half a million new shoppers to Aldi for Christmas shopping.
Aldi’s Christmas ad was deemed the year’s most effective by Kantar’s annual consumer survey. The advert, which saw Kevin the Carrot join forces with Marcus Radishford, voiced by Marcus Rashford MBE of Manchester United, highlighted Aldi’s support for the footballer’s campaign against child food poverty.
Last year, Aldi announced plans to create 2,000 jobs in 2022 and invest a record £1.3 billion over two years, opening 100 new stores as well as distribution centers and revamping existing stores.