Following today’s release of Lidl’s figures for the 52 weeks ending 28 February 2026; Charlotte Chilcott, retail analyst at GlobalData, a leading intelligence and productivity platform, offers her view: “Lidl has delivered another set of outstanding results in FY2025/26, as the combination of low prices, personalised deals and product quality continues to resonate with shoppers. Revenue rose 10.8% to £13.0bn in FY2025/26, accelerating from 7.9% growth in FY2024/25 and comfortably outpacing the UK food & grocery market in 2025. Operating profit rose 9.9% to £345.0m, showing that Lidl is improving profitability despite heavy reinvestment in price. Lidl outperformed its closest rival, Aldi, which reported 5.0% sales growth and a 0.6% decline in operating profit in FY2025. Growing more than three times faster than the market, alongside an additional 43 million customer visits and a 23% increase in Lidl Plus users, indicates that Lidl is winning shoppers from across the market, not just retaining those who have traded down due to inflationary pressures.
“Store expansion remains central to this momentum, as Lidl opened over 40 new stores during the year and reached its 1,000th store milestone, bringing its offer to a wider catchment of shoppers. It plans to open more than 50 stores in FY2026/27 as part of a £600m investment, which should support a further increase in market share. This pace of expansion compares favourably with Aldi, which is opening 24 UK stores before Christmas 2026, keeping pressure on its rival as both discounters compete for new locations. However, the Competition and Markets Authority has provisionally decided that Lidl and Aldi must comply with the same land rules as the larger grocers, meaning they will no longer be able to block rivals from opening stores nearby. This will expose new Lidl sites to increased local competition; therefore, the discounter must ensure that each new location offers a strong enough proposition, highlighting value and quality, to retain shoppers when rivals open nearby.
“More shoppers are visiting Lidl for their main weekly shop, showcased by strong growth across key fresh categories, including meat, fruit and vegetables. This is supported by a 12% rise in Deluxe sales as Lidl retains consumers who had initially traded down by enabling them to trade up within the store rather than switching away. Lidl Plus user numbers rose 23% year-on-year, widening Lidl’s competitive advantage over Aldi, which does not operate a loyalty programme. Aldi has recently criticised rivals for allegedly misleading shoppers with loyalty scheme discounts. However, Lidl’s increase in Lidl Plus user numbers indicates that customers appreciate the combination of low everyday prices and personalised rewards. This helps Lidl to compete with mid-market rivals such as Tesco and Sainsbury’s and distinguish itself from Aldi. To keep this advantage, Lidl should continue developing the app’s personalisation so that it remains a clear reason to choose Lidl over Aldi.”
