Aldi has recorded its “best Christmas ever” as sales rose to £1.6bn thanks to shoppers trading up over the holiday period.

The discounter reported a 3.4% increase in total sales in the four weeks to Christmas Eve, while its seasonal products jumped 10% year on year and its premium Specially Selected range surged 12%.

Monday 23 December was the supermarket’s busiest ever trading day as it served nearly 3 million customers.

In the run up to Christmas Day, Aldi said it sold 350,000 fresh British turkeys, more than 400 tonnes of British beef and almost three million British Brussels sprouts.

The supermarket noted that shoppers had sought to spread the cost of buying traditional favourites like Christmas cakes and puddings as early as September, while others treated themselves for almost three months.

Aldi UK chief executive Giles Hurley said: “Our offering of outstanding quality British products at unbeatable prices was a winning combination yet again this Christmas as customers wanted to celebrate in style after an uncertain year, but with more challenges ahead, they wanted to do it without breaking the bank.”

“We couldn’t have done any of this without the unwavering dedication of all our amazing colleagues and I want to thank each and every member of Team Aldi for serving our customers so well this Christmas.

“As we look ahead to the new year, which for many will mean the prospect of living costs rising again, many families will be nervous about what 2025 holds.

“Against this background, our mission remains clear: we will not only remain the UK’s lowest-priced supermarket, but we will ensure the price gap between ourselves and the traditional full-price supermarkets is as big as ever.”

Last week, fellow German discounter Lidl reported a 7% increase in sales over the four-week period leading up to Christmas, pushing its turnover to a record high of more than £1bn for the first time in its 30-year history.

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