Lidl gained 1.3m British shoppers at Christmas amid living costs crisis

Discount supermarket's sales rise by a quarter year on year in four weeks to 25 December

Lidl gained 1.3 million British shoppers in the Christmas period compared with a year earlier as the supermarket benefited from people cutting back on spending.

The German-owned chain said the Friday before Christmas was its busiest ever day as sales rose by a quarter compared with the previous year as shoppers switched from other supermarkets in greater numbers.