Lidl named Retailer of the Year by British Berry Growers

Discount supermarket Lidl has been awarded the accolade of Retailer of the Year by the British Berry Growers at the association’s annual retailer event in London, after Lidl registered an 18.3% increase in volume sales across all berries in 2022. This contrasts with the 1.1% decline in British Berry Growers members’ UK total sales and a 6.8% contraction in the overall UK market volume for the 2022 berry campaign.

Chairman Nick Marston said: “On behalf of British Berry Growers, I’d like to thank the retailers for attending the event and congratulate Lidl on their outstanding performance in the category. Lidl’s success serves as a reminder that an increasing number of shoppers will still buy and enjoy berries as an affordable luxury.”

The latest Kantar data indicates 11% retail inflation across strawberries, which compares unfavourably with what British Berry Growers noted was a 0% average year-on-year return increase seen by growers.