Alamy
Men are shopping more in Lidl's central aisle, its British boss said as the supermarket returned to profit after a loss-making year.
Ryan McDonnell said the Lidl business, known for its unusual stock ranging from power tools to inflatables, had a “large male customer base”.
“We often have partners at odds because men have disappeared down the aisle and are buying things they may already own,” he told the BBC.
His comments come as Lidl reported a pre-tax profit of £43m, compared to a loss of £76m the previous year.
Annual sales increased by 16.9% for the year ending February 2024, with sales of almost £11 billion.
It’s 30 years this month since Lidl arrived in the UK. It now has more than 960 stores and is the sixth largest grocery store in the country.
One of its quirks is “the middle of Lidl” and a trip to the retailer has become synonymous with shoppers returning with something they didn't buy.
Two-seater canoes and flamethrowers
“There are some interesting shopping habits in that department,” he says, adding that he has experienced arguments between couples after one man becomes “puzzled by a gadget or two.”
“I would say there are a lot of men in trouble when they come here,” he said.
There are Facebook pages, Reddit threads, and YouTube videos dedicated to mid-range finds.
“My mom came back with a two-person canoe, even though she didn't live near a suitable body of water,” one Reddit user posted on a thread about things people had found. “A flamethrower,” another user posted. “It was to get rid of weeds.”
Aside from the middle aisle, Mr McDonnell said there was a lot of spending at the start on tartlets, party food and panettone. He added that Lidl had won many new customers and many were in a “confident” mood for Christmas despite the difficult economic environment.
Lidl has refreshed the look of its stores, installing bakeries at entrances and displaying more fruit and vegetables. Both categories saw an increase in sales.
With fierce competition and price matching, McDonnell believes the shopping experience is just as important as price to continue attracting customers.
Lidl UK boss Ryan McDonnell said the changes announced in the budget would add tens of millions of dollars to the retailer's costs.
Lidl is the fastest growing supermarket chain in the UK this year but, like other retailers, it now faces the impact of the Budget. Supermarkets employ large numbers of people and profit margins are slim.
Mr McDonnell warned that tax rises announced in the Budget would add tens of millions of pounds to costs over the coming year.
Bosses at Sainsbury's and Marks & Spencer have both warned that shoppers could face higher prices due to an increase in employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs).
On Tuesday, Lidl joined dozens of industry giants in signing a letter to the Treasury warning that job losses were “inevitable” and rising prices were “a certainty” due to measures announced in the Budget and other cost increases.
The Treasury told the BBC the government “had to make difficult choices to repair the foundations of the country”.
Mr. McDonnell declined to give an exact figure on the additional cost of network cards, but said it was just one of many new costs coming that would create a cumulative burden on the industry.
“We’re talking about national insurance, the national living wage, we’re talking about business rates. We have packaging and recycling taxes coming. This represents both a lot of pressure on businesses,” he said.
“I think the government needs to review how it intends to stimulate growth.”
He insisted, however, that Lidl's investment plans in the UK would not change, with a further 18 stores due to open in the coming months, followed by 40 in the next financial year.
