News

This surprising brand is one of Britain’s fastest growing supermarket chains

Watch your back, Lidl

Amy Houghton
Written by
Amy Houghton
Contributing writer
M&S supermarket aisle, Bath
Photograph: 1000 Words / Shutterstock.com
Advertising

We’ve all got our opinions on which UK supermarket reigns supreme. But right now, stats show that the British public is loving two grocery store chains in particular. 

Beloved bargain paradise Lidl is going from strength to strength and after being named the cheapest supermarket in the UK has now also been revealed as the fastest growing. Nothing too shocking there.

But in much more surprising news, middle class mecca Marks and Spencer has overtaken Aldi and is currently the country's second fastest growing food retailer. 

Insights from NIQ, a database of consumer buying habits, show that Lidl sales have jumped by 13.2 percent in the last 12 weeks, while its bougier competitor Marks and Sparks has seen an increase of 11.6 percent. 

M&S’ rise through the ranks could be down to the fact that it’s been making major price cuts in an effort to beat Waitrose as the middle-class supermarket of choice. Last month it announced 65 price cuts to staple items like baked beans, instant coffee and rice. That’s on top of the 200 price cuts that it announced back in October. 

Those price slashes have meant that more people have been doing full food shops at M&S, rather than just coming for its food-to-go offerings. Marks and Spencer chief exec Stuart Machin even revealed that record numbers had bought their groceries from its food courts over Christmas. 

Of course, with all of its roaring success, it only makes sense that M&S has been busy opening a bunch of new stores. You can read all about those openings on Time Out here

Did you see that Birmingham is getting an Ozzy Osborne musuem?

Plus: seven English counties will soon get ‘lightning fast’ broadband, thanks to a £5 billion project.

Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out UK newsletter for the latest UK news and the best stuff happening across the country.  

You may also like
You may also like
Advertising