Newly released GB market data from Kantar reveals only marginal growth for the crucial Christmas quarter. Sales in the 12 weeks to December 29th grew by just 0.2%, the slowest rate over Christmas since 2015 and down from 0.5% in the 12 weeks to December 1st. This suggests that trading was particularly disappointing for the four weeks to December 29th. The weak trend is mirrored by Nielsen whic...

Aldi is first off the starting block with its Christmas reporting. The discounter delivered sales growth of 7.9% in the four weeks to Christmas Eve, hailing 2019 as its "best-ever Christmas". Growth supported by new store openings The addition of 47 stores to its estate compared to last year supported Aldi's strong Christmas performance. The impact is difficult to quantify as the retailer d...

Aldi and Lidl are going all out to show shoppers choosing a discounter for your Christmas shop does not mean compromising on choice or quality. We look at three ways the retailers are delivering value, alongside giving the festive period a luxury feel. 1. Marketing focusing on quality and range Marketing during the golden quarter is perhaps more important than at any other time of the yea...