Yahoo Finance Record Christmas for Aldi as sales surge 10%
Aldi enjoyed its best run-up to Christmas on record, with the supermarket’s sales surging by 10.6% in the four weeks to Christmas Eve compared to a year earlier.
CEO Giles Hurley noted the German supermarket chain chain saw “unprecedented demand” for its products in Britain as “customers pushed the boat out more than ever before.”
Aldi said trading was boosted by strong demand for its beers, wine and spirits.
Hurley added that the company was “expecting significant sales growth this year” as it opens new stores. “With the vast majority of our grocery products now coming from British suppliers, our growth will lead to additional jobs and investment in our UK supply chain.”
Aldi also highlighted a 75% sales increase for its online wine and “special buy” offerings.
Twice a week, its offers customers a range of special buys, that can include anything from electronics to clothing and furniture. A new range of these products comes out every Wednesday and Saturday, offering “exceptional quality and value for money,” Aldi said.
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Back in September Britain’s fifth largest supermarket had said it would create a further 4,000 jobs in addition to the 3,000 roles it had already created this year and open 100 new stores as profits soared.
It said the move was part of a £1.3bn ($1.7bn) investment plan over the next two years. Its long-term target is to have 1,200 stores by 2025.
Amid high demand and tighter COVID-19 restrictions, Britain’s supermarkets prepared for the busy Christmas shopping period with incentives such as digital queueing systems and longer opening hours in place to keep shoppers happy.
With government measures to control COVID-19 infections limiting eating out and pub visits, industry experts predicted shoppers would spend a record £12bn ($15.9bn) in supermarkets and convenience stores in December. It would be roughly £1.5bn more than in 2019, according to analysts at Kantar.
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