Lidl's UK Sales Increase 7% with Christmas Demand
LONDON (Reuters) -The British arm of German retailer Lidl on Thursday reported a 7% rise in sales over the four-week period before Christmas, with demand for holiday staples such as turkey and pigs in blankets pushing its turnover to a record high.
The company, which has over 970 stores across the United Kingdom, said turnover exceeded 1 billion pounds ($1.25 billion) in the four weeks to Dec. 24 for the first time in its 30 years in Britain.
It said it attracted almost 2 million new customers over the holiday season.
Lidl, Britain's sixth biggest supermarket chain, was the fastest growing bricks-and-mortar grocer in the year to end-November, with sales up 6.6% year-on-year, research company Kantar said last month.
The company, owned by Germany's Schwarz retail group, said Dec. 23 was its busiest day of the festive season, as it reported its "most successful Christmas yet".
($1 = 0.7983 pounds)
(Reporting by Muvija M. Editing by Paul Sandle and Mark Potter)
