Discount supermarket Lidl GB was crowned Grocer of the Year’ by industry experts at The Retail Week Awards last week, trumping competitors Aldi, M&S, Sainsbury’s, and Tesco for the title.
The award was judged by industry experts including Judges included former CEO of Sainsbury’s and current Chair of New Look and Oak Furnitureland, Mike Coupe, Managing Director of Co-op Food, Matt Hood, and former CEO of Co-op Food and current CEO of Matalan, Jo Whitfield.
The judges said Lidl won due to its impressive growth over the past 12 months and its value offering. Having invested £100 million to help maintain its low prices, Lidl saw 1.4 million more customers come through its doors during the judging period. It has also been crowned cheapest supermarket for over 12 months by Manchester Evening News and held the title in six out of eight of The Grocer’s Super 33 price comparisons.
One judge concluded that “Lidl has got a tremendous business where it’s captured a lot of market share. Unless the rest of the supermarkets do something, that’s going to continue.”
Lidl GB CEO Ryan McDonnell says the Grocer of the year title is an especially poignant accolade with 2024 marking the retailer’s 30th anniversary in Great Britain.
“When the doors to our first store opened back in 1994, our promise was simple, offer customers great quality food at unbeatable value, and this commitment still stands,” he says.
“Big on Quality, Lidl on Price isn’t just a brand slogan. It’s a promise that epitomises what our business stands for, and encapsulates our commitment to social responsibility and sustainability which is core to our DNA. Over the years, this has helped contribute towards a significant change in the way that British households shop for their groceries.”
The award win comes after Lidl was named fastest growing supermarket for six months in a row by Kantar, notably becoming the only grocer in the UK to achieve double-digit growth since the start of the year.