The ‘middle aisle’ has long been a favourite for millions of shoppers who have time to browse in Aldi and Lidl.
And this week both supermarkets said they were part of the reason why they outperformed all the bigger supermarkets over Christmas.
Lidl posted a 2.6 per cent year-on-year rise in UK sales over the four weeks to December 26 – up 21 per cent when compared with pre-pandemic levels two years earlier. It said its Christmas jumpers were the fastest-selling item in its so-called ‘Middle of Lidl’ aisle, with around one sold every two seconds on its first day of sale.
Aldi hailed its “best ever” Christmas after a jump in December trading, with sales increased by 0.4 per cent compared with the same month last year. Its best sellers included a talking Dobbie and various cut-price power tools.
Much thought goes into the middle aisle. New items come on a Thursday and many shoppers make special trip to see what’s on offer. For others, the aisle…
