Shoppers numbers surge at the discount supermarkets, as a third of all UK households have shopped at Lidl and almost 40% have shopped at Aldi while food prices continue to rise.
Discount retailers Lidl and Aldi have experienced a surge in customer growth amid in record-high inflation rates and global food supply disruption.
According to the latest NielsenIQ Homescan Total Till data, Lidl experienced an 8.6% growth, and Aldi a 6.1% growth in the last four weeks, ending on 26 February.
READ MORE: Lidl beats Aldi to top spot of UK’s cheapest supermarket in February
Both retailers attracted new shoppers associated with new store openings, but the numbers are also growing as inflation hits a three-decade high with the CPI forecasted to reach 8% next month.
The shift towards discounters is expected to grow, with energy and fuel costs further squeezing household budgets.
Currently, 19% of UK shoppers are considered “strugglers”, meaning they are experiencing the lasting impacts of job income loss due to the Covid pandemic.
“Global food supply disruption and soaring energy and fuel costs, are set to impact shopper baskets and have the potential to slow down any growth in supermarket volumes,” NielsenIQ’s UK head of retailer and business insight Mike Watkins said.
“Retailers and their suppliers must be prepared for the uncertainty that lies ahead and ensure they are taking every step possible to support shoppers in balancing budgets over the next few months.”
The news comes as Which? has named Lidl as the cheapest supermarket in February, with Aldi trailing behind in second place by 62p.
Earlier this month, Kantar data also showed Lidl and Aldi were the fastest-growing retailers with sales increasing by 3.3% for both discounters.
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