Aldi raked in over £10 billion in sales last year for the first time after notching up record sales over Christmas as festive shoppers snapped up luxury products and cut-price vegetables.
The German supermarket said total UK sales were more than 15% higher during December compared to the same month in 2016.
This festive boost pushed Aldi’s total sales in the UK and Ireland during 2017 over the £10 billion barrier for the first time.
The budget chain’s “specially selected” premium range saw sales rocket 30%, with mince pies, Aberdeen Angus beef roasting joints and Irish cream liqueur among the top-selling products.
Boss Matthew Barnes said: “This was our busiest-ever Christmas as millions of festive shoppers switched to Aldi from more expensive food retailers.
“Although we saw strong growth across all categories, the performance of our premium Specially Selected range in particular surpassed all expectations.
“This is a clear sign that shoppers knew they could indulge in Christmas treats and festive essentials at Aldi for a fraction of the price they would pay elsewhere.”
Happy man: Aldi CEO Matthew Barnes (PA)
Aldi sold more than 6.8 million bottles of wine, champagne and Prosecco during December, or over 200,000 bottles per day.
It also sold over four million mince pies and more than 100 million packs of vegetables, including parsnips, sprouts and carrots.
The grocery chain also announced it will pay all store assistants a minimum hourly rate of £8.85 nationally and £10.20 in London from February 1, which Aldi said makes it the UK’s “highest paying supermarket”.
Aldi also pledged to match the Living Wage Foundation’s recommended rates of £8.75 nationally and £10.20 in London for all of its employees from the same date.
The retailer, which has 762 stores in the UK, reiterated its long-term strategy to have a network of 1,000 by 2022.
Mr Barnes added: “We see significant capacity for further growth as there are still more than 400 towns and cities across the UK without an Aldi store.
“Shoppers in these areas consistently tell us they would shop at Aldi if they could, and we are committed to meeting this demand for new Aldi stores.”