Lidl's middle aisle is getting cut, this is why

Lidl’s middle aisle or the ‘Middle of Lidl,’ as the company puts it, is to be removed by the discount supermarket, as per the report by Grocery Gazette. Amidst the rising cost of living, customer preferences have shifted massively, leading to mega-retailers like Lidl having to adjust their priorities.

Aldi’s middle aisle to be given the boot

Lidl’swebsite states,

All of our non-food offers live in the Middle of Lidl, from kettles and canoes to toys and shoes.

This much-loved section will soon cease to exist across all the company’s stores. The reason for the company giving its middle aisle the boot is due to its recent poor sales figure. According to Grocery Gazette, revenue from this section has dropped to below 10% of the retailer’s total sales. This is below the usual percentage from non-food items for the brand, which is typically about 15%.

Why is the middle aisle losing its appeal?

Grocery Gazette points to the rising inflation as the reason why non-food items are being sidelined in stores like Lidl. The report also states that the segment which has been hit hardest by customers tightening their purse strings are products above £20 in value. Similar challenges are also being faced by Aldi, which is another popular discount supermarket.

With the inflation in the UK hitting a 40-year high, as reported by BBC, customers are focusing on essentials and viewing other kinds of purchases as unnecessary. In fact, according to another report by BBC, people in the UK are having to budget, skimp and compromise on purchasing food items and other essentials.

Wales Online reported that retail sales have fallen by 1.2%. They quoted High Streets Task Force expert, Dr Jackie Mulligan, who said,

The three month decline of 1.2% paints a much more accurate picture of the UK high street than the July figure alone. People just aren't spending amid the cost of living crisis. It's no surprise to see clothing and household goods continue to be hit particularly hard.

Read more:

⋙ Aldi’s surplus food to be available for only £3.30 in trial run with Too Good To Go

⋙ Lidl introduces new regulations after getting hit with severe inflation

⋙ Lidl and B&Q have been unknowingly selling rare and expensive plants at cheap prices