Discount Retail Chain ALDI Australia (German family owned) celebrates its five-year anniversary in Western Australia, looking back at the positive contribution it has made and reaffirming its commitment to the state, highlighting it has every intention of continuing to be an integral part of the fabric that makes up Western Australian communities. Five years ago, ALDI opened the first four Western Australian stores at Kwinana, Belmont Forum, The Square Mirrabooka and Lakeside Joondalup and began its journey of providing Western Australians with high quality and affordable groceries as well as rewarding retail career opportunities. Fast forward to June 2021 and ALDI has grown to operate 47 stores around the state, with plans to open another six stores over the next two years including in Karrinyup next month, as part of the new-look Karrinyup Shopping Centre, and in Willetton, Clarkson and Albany from early next year. As ALDI has expanded across the western seaboard, it has continued to recruit more locals. “We currently employ more than 830 Western Australians in our stores and Jandakot-based head office and distribution centre, providing industry leading salaries and five weeks annual leave. Our positive impact extends beyond our store footprint as we source locally where possible supporting local business communities. We currently partner with 80 Western Australian businesses such as Delroy Orchards, Key Produce and Turkish Bakeries who grow and produce our avocados, tomatoes and Turkish bread,” said Caroline MacPhail, Managing Director, Western Australia. ALDI supports the local communities in which it operates and last year its Western Australian stores donated more than 1.3 million meals to charity partners including OzHarvest, Foodbank, Halo Team Inc, Rainbow Church Food Ministry, Ellenbrook Community Collective and the Champion Centre in Byford, Armadale and Camillo. One of ALDI’s core values is Responsibility and it is on track to achieve its goal of fully powering the business utilising renewable electricity. By 2025 the business will have reduced its plastics and packaging by 25% across own private label branded products and be sending absolutely zero waste to landfill. ALDI’s expansion in Western Australia supports its total contribution to the Australian economy. PricewaterhouseCoopers calculated that in 20 years of operation ALDI has contributed AU$30.2 billion (US$23Bn) to the economy as a result of new and upgraded stores, local business partnerships and jobs. “I’m proud of ALDI’s contribution to Western Australia whether it’s driving down grocery prices or providing jobs for locals across diverse communities. We have come a long way since opening our first few stores back in 2016 and we are excited to continue our expansion into new locations such as Albany, providing access to high-quality groceries at incredibly low prices for more Western Australians,” added Caroline. See here for more: https://www.aldiunpacked.com.au/aldi-celebrates-five-years-in-western-australia-as-it-reveals-its-latest-expansion-plans/

Discount Retail Chain Lidl Netherlands (owned by German Schwarz Gruppe) is the first supermarket in the Netherlands to start a pilot with the Eco-Score system. With Eco-Score, the ecological impact of products is calculated and displayed on the product in a simple and transparent manner. Lidl reports that a similar trial has already started in its home market in Germany. The trial will start at the beginning of August and will continue until the end of October. Labeling sustainability After the launch of Eco-Score in Lidl stores in Berlin, the Netherlands is now following. Eco-Score is a system that labels and evaluates the ecological footprint of products. The score ranges from 0 to 100, with the lowest score getting a red letter 'E' and the highest a green 'A'. This makes it comparable to the Nutri-Score, but with a focus on sustainability. From August 2, the Eco-Score will be displayed on the price card for Lidl coffee and tea for three months. This is done per product, in total about fifty articles. Eco-Score can then be found in seven stores in the Arnhem, Ede and Nijmegen regions. Transparency about sustainability Eco-Score is Lidl's way of communicating in a simple and more transparent way about the ecological impact of a product. Lidl wants to make a sustainable lifestyle affordable and accessible for everyone, says the supermarket in the announcement. This is largely done by making the range more sustainable in collaboration with suppliers. Eco-Score is the next step for the German discounter towards customers. After October 31, Lidl will evaluate the result of the pilot to determine whether its use will be continued. French origin Like the Nutriscore label for nutritional value, the Eco-Score label comes from France. In Belgium, supermarket chain Colruyt was the first to start introducing the Eco-Score. See here for more: https://www.foodagribusiness.nl/lidl-start-nederlandse-proef-met-eco-score/

Discount Retail Chain Lidl Hungary (owned by the German Schwarz Gruppe) beat everyone in 2020 and irrespective of the fact whether one likes the discounter channel or not, the business results and the successful strategy need to be appreciated. One year earlier it was already visible how dynamically Lidl was going forward, but back than 12 months weren’t enough. This time Lidl has taken the 1st place in the ranking with a significant advantage. It must also be mentioned that Lidl isn’t only the first in Trade magazin’s retailer ranking, but also in GfK’s market share report, with a nearly 15% share. None of the retail channels was able to grow as much in 12 months as discount supermarkets, and GfK says the channel’s market share has already exceeded 30% in Hungary, this makes discounters the No.1 retail channel today. It is important to underline the fact that the No.2 spot also went to a different retailer than last time, as for the first time SPAR won the silver medal. In SPAR’s case we can also talk about a good business strategy, as the company has been successfully working on bringing out the most in the market for years by following a well-made plan. Then retailer keeps investing a lot of money in expansion, development, serving customers and improving the shopping experience, and this hard work finally bore fruit. What is more, they managed to achieve this result in an environment where the hypermarket channel has been losing market share for years and this was also true for last year. This makes it even more important that SPAR has been paying special attention to the expansion of various small-size store formats too, the number of which increased greatly last year, as it is indicated by this year’s retailer ranking. Unfortunately the difficulties of former years continued for Tesco and the Covid-19 pandemic only made matters worse for hypermarkets, so practically there was no change in Tesco’s sales turnover and in the light of the channel’s 2-3% contraction, it would also be a good result if sales declined by 1-2%, but our estimation was a little bit more positive than this. As for the ‘trios’ of discounters (Lidl, Aldi and Penny), Hungarian-owned retail chains and drugstores, the market shares and rankings didn’t change within the channels, so the ranking is only different in the trio of hypermarkets. Small corner shops that could change their product selections quickly as a reaction to the new conditions saw their opportunities grow last year, because during the pandemic shoppers didn’t want to visit large stores and they didn’t wish to spend a lot of time with shopping. Due to the fewer store visits, shoppers opted for a larger size in several product categories and they also purchased bigger quantities. See here for more: https://trademagazin.hu/en/megjelent-az-fmcg-piac-2020-evi-kereskedelmi-toplistaja-befutott-a-lidl-az-1-helyre/?utm_source=sendgrid.com&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=website

Discount Retail Chain Lidl's (owned by the German Schwarz Gruppe) new German headquarters in Bad Wimpfen is intended to increase efficiency and make the Schwarz discounter more attractive for employees. Future investment: This is what the new Lidl headquarters looks like Lidl has invested a three-digit million euro sum in its new German headquarters in Bad Wimpfen. Lidl Germany boss Matthias Oppitz is visibly pleased with the new work environment. The spacious entrance area is more reminiscent of a hotel lobby. It is primarily intended for visitors. Employees drive straight into the building from the underground car park. The building complex in Bad Wimpfen operates on different levels. Above the boulevard with restaurants and services there is a green area from which the individual office buildings virtually grow out. The company restaurant is still empty: 90 percent of employees are currently still working from home due to Corona. Various restaurants are to turn the boulevard into a communication zone in which the employees develop new ideas on the side. There are 580 seats there, and depending on their mood, employees can have their lunch in seating groups in the Lidl colors or at more traditional tables. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer employees at their desks bright workplaces and a beautiful view. The open plan offices are spacious. Each workstation is equipped with two screens and a height-adjustable desk. Such meeting corners are intended to promote collaboration between employees. If employees have to bring children to the office, they can book the parent-child office. Nappy-changing children can be cared for there, as can kindergarten or elementary school children. The architectural play with different levels can also be admired from the outside. The intended side effect: Most work surfaces have natural light. There are 230 lockers in the gym. The athletes among the employees have enough space. Treatment rooms for physiotherapists are also part of the offer. Unlike the previous Lidl Germany headquarters, the new building is not in an industrial area. It borders on the residential development of the historic town of Bad Wimpfen. So far, the employees worked in an office building that stands between a junkyard and the sewage treatment plant. It's not far to the picture-perfect core of the Staufer town of Bad Wimpfen. Barbarossa founded an imperial palace there in the 12th century, and Lidl funded the renovation of the Blue Tower in parallel to the construction of its own modern castle with a seven-figure sum. Rental bicycles are available for the short trip to the Stauferpfalz, several train stations in the area are connected by shuttle. The new world of work at Lidl Germany is definitely beautiful, and that also applies to the office space. Height-adjustable desks? Are standard. Likewise, double screens. Such issues play an important role in the fight for the best brains. Floor-to-ceiling windows open the landscape to the view of the employees, sound-absorbing elements ensure that the offices remain quiet, even when several people are on the phone at the same time. For nine workplaces there are small work and meeting rooms on the office floors, into which buyers, administrators, real estate specialists and logisticians can retreat in the immediate vicinity of their desks. The meeting corners are equipped with all the technical refinements. If someone needs a new notebook quickly: In addition to the snack machine, there is also one for Schwarz IT computers on the "Boulevard". Although the desks are all identical, must be cleared every evening and employees can plug in their notebooks anywhere, Lidl will continue to have a permanent workplace for every employee in the future. It is possible and desirable for employees who work together on projects to sit down temporarily. If necessary, parents can reserve a workplace with a children's play area. "We offer our employees various services to make their everyday life easier" Thomas Kobold, project manager Even after Corona, visitors will hardly get to see the chic office floors: There are 30 representative meeting rooms of various sizes in the conference center for appointments with external guests. From the price negotiation to the Friday jour fixe with the notary: This is where contact with the outside world takes place, without the guests noticing too much of the inner values ​​and secrets of the building complex. The show halls with 1,300 square meters for food and 1,900 square meters for non-food remain closed to them. The model branch is also taboo for most outsiders, previously it was housed in an unadorned hall in an industrial area in Heilbronn. Depending on the traffic, it took half an hour to get there from the old building. Now the Lidl people are only an elevator ride away from where new ideas for store design are being developed. If you miss the exercise: The fitness area is right next to it. A cleaning service takes care of the laundry for the employees, and there is a Packadoo counter for private parcels from all providers. Only groceries are not available for Lidl employees, neither in the test store nor as a delivery service to their personal closet. To go shopping, you have to leave the Lidl castle in the Stauferstadt. The closest store is an Edeka. There are only stores in the neighboring town where they can reap the fruits of their own labor. See here for more: https://www.lebensmittelzeitung.net/handel/Moderne-Arbeitswelt-Wohlfuehl-Service-fuer-Lidl-Mitarbeiter-152709?utm_source=%2Fmeta%2Fnewsletter%2Fkarriere&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=nl6428-basic&utm_term=23ad17e0d82c156bfb1691b1105f4604

Dollar Discount Retail Store chains are starting to offer fresh groceries at some stores after years of criticism that they don't provide enough healthy food options for their customers. Family Dollar has started selling apples, oranges, onions, potatoes, and other fruit and vegetables, and frozen poultry, pork and beef at approximately 100 of its more than 7,000 stores, a company spokesperson said last week. Dollar General offers produce at more than 1,300 locations, and the chain said last week that it plans to add produce departments to 1,000 additional stores in 2021. It said it sees an opportunity to put them in 10,000 stores in the future. Dollar General has more than 17,000 stores. Dollar stores have faced growing scrutiny from local lawmakers and advocacy groups who say the companies contribute to supermarket closures, deter new grocers from opening, and fail to offer a similar healthy food options for customers that can be found at grocery stores. A handful of cities, including Tulsa, Oklahoma City, Birmingham and New Orleans, have passed measures restricting dollar stores' growth for such reasons. Chains have good reason to introduce perishable food: there's demand for it. Family Dollar, which is owned by Dollar Tree, and Dollar General have said they are adding more fresh items to their stores to draw customers in low-income areas where there are limited or no other options to buy fresh groceries. Adding produce to stores in rural and urban food deserts can "drive a tremendous amount of traffic," Dollar General CEO Todd Vasos said in 2018. Produce hasn't been widespread at these stores in the past because they have business models that rely on keeping down expenses and limiting "shrink" merchandise lost due to spoilage or other errors. Selling produce is more labor-intensive than stocking stores with shelf-stable foods that don't go bad. Produce is "so hard to execute," said Scott Mushkin, a retail analyst at R5 Capital, an industry research firm. The new offerings may not be enough to satisfy critics of the chains. Barry Popkin, a professor of nutrition at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health who has researched food options at dollar stores and other retailers, said dollar store chains "have been impervious to pushes about their health effects" and the nutritional value of the foods they offer. Popkin noted that only a small percentage of Dollar General and Family Dollar stores are selling fresh food and the assortment of items they are offering is narrow, no asparagus or spinach, for example. "You can't get much healthy in the dollar stores" that don't offer fresh produce, he said, which is not the case at Walmart, Kroger and other grocery stores. Family Dollar did not respond to request for comment on its food options. Dollar General said in an emailed statement that at each of its stores, "customers can find the components of a healthy meal," such as proteins, grains, dairy, and frozen and canned vegetables. See here for more: https://www.weny.com/story/44019013/dollar-stores-are-starting-to-offer-fresh-food-after-years-of-criticism

Discount Retail Chain Aldi Australia (privately owned) has rolled out its first ever self-serve checkouts in a surprising backflip just years after the supermarket chain insisted it will never introduce them. Sydney shoppers were the first to be treated to the new feature at the Darlinghurst store in the inner-city suburb on Wednesday, June 2. The card-only self-serve checkouts, which are part of a trial, are expected to roll out to 10 stores across New South Wales, with six to eight machines installed at each. The new shopping experience will help customers scan groceries faster and easier. In a statement to Daily Mail Australia, an Aldi spokeswoman said: 'We make business decisions in line with our low-cost model so we can consistently provide high quality groceries at the lowest prices. 'Since self-serve checkouts entered the Australian grocery sector, we've been watching with keen interest the value and efficiencies they drive for business as well as the convenience they provide customers. 'We commenced a self-serve checkout trial set to roll out in ten NSW stores, the first being Darlinghurst.' The new feature comes just years after an Aldi spokesperson reportedly said the automated-checkouts were far-slower than their own staffed conveyor belts. See here for more: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-9646387/Aldi-Australia-launches-self-service-checkouts-Darlinghurst-Sydney.html

Discount Retail Chain Lidl Serbia (owned by German Schwarz Gruppe) has decided to further contribute to the betterment of the community in which it operates in its daily business. Starting from June 3, it will become the first food retail chain in our country, which will eliminate the use of plastic bags for shopping in the whole of Serbia. "Until now, this practice was valid only for a few cities, for example, we responded to the Decision of the City of Belgrade, according to which the use of plastic bags with less than 50 microns was banned by completely removing plastic bags for shopping in the city. However, as a company that is aware of its responsibility towards nature and the impact that our business has on it, we have decided to do something more and to spread the good practice to all Lidl stores throughout Serbia. Thus, first of all, we want to encourage consumers to come with their bags or bags in order to maintain sustainability and environmental protection, but also as a contribution to the household budget," said Aleksandra Miric from the Department for Corporate Social Responsibility of Lidl Serbia. The first such initiative in the field of food trade in our country: Responsible for nature - in order to protect the environment and reduce the volume of single-use plastics. This decision stemmed from the fact that millions of plastic bags are used in the world every day, and their production requires raw materials that our planet cannot renew quickly. Plastic bags often come to an end in nature, where they take hundreds of years to decompose, while, in the meantime, they break down into smaller parts, the so-called microplastics, which easily reach living organisms through the food chain at the end and our plate. In addition, there are currently five "plastic islands" in the world, the largest of which covers an area of ​​1.6 million square kilometers, which is 18 times larger than the area of ​​the territory of Serbia. As an alternative to plastic shopping bags, Lidl Serbia offers consumers "green" environmental options such as paper bags, durable bags and reusable bags for fruits and vegetables, which this company was the first to introduce to the domestic market. See here for more: https://retail.rs/kompanija-lidl-srbija-je-izbacila-plasticne-kese-za-kupovinu-iz-upotrebe-u-celoj-srbiji

Chinese discount variety retail chain Miniso (public compan traded at NYSE: MNSO) accelerated its expansion plan during the pandemic, opening 364 stores around the world during the past 12 months. The expansion has increased Miniso’s store number to 4,587 in China and 94 in overseas markets. The brand recorded the strongest performance in its home market, with physical store and online e-commerce revenue surging 69% and 86% respectively during the third quarter of fiscal year 2021, which ended on March 31. The retailer has also expanded into new global markets, including Iceland, Malta, New Caledonia, the Canary Islands. “We will continue to make efforts in overseas markets, not only to further develop new markets and existing markets, but also to further localise,” said Vincent Huang, VP of International Business at Miniso. During Q3 2021, Miniso generated US$340.3 million in revenue, increasing 37% year on year. Its e-commerce sector accounted for US$26.1 million in revenue, increasing 86 per cent year on year, while the O2O business contributed nearly US$10.7 million in revenue, accounting for 3.1% of sales. “Online business has been accelerated by the pandemic and will be one of the priorities for the future development of Miniso,” said Robin Liu, chief marketing officer and head of e-commerce at Miniso. See here for more: https://insideretail.asia/2021/06/04/chinese-discount-store-miniso-is-growing-at-one-new-store-a-day/

Discount Textile Retail Chain Zeeman (family owned) sells customers second-hand clothing. Before the end of the year, worn baby, children's and women's clothing must be available in 50 stores. Customers will also have the option to return their used clothing, the company said. Initially, the second-hand clothing is only for sale in a few stores. Zeeman works for the initiative, which is called Zeeman RESALE, together with 'Het Goed'. This is a social enterprise with 28 thrift stores and five textile sorting centers in the Netherlands. "We do it really locally: we collect in the stores, we donate the collected clothing to Het Goed and after sorting we buy the selection made by them," said CEO Erik-Jan Mares. He thinks the clothing will be especially popular with young people. Zeeman already tried out the plan in his branch in Osdorp, where the used clothing was especially popular with young people. Zeeman has been committed to corporate social responsibility for some time now. For example, the share of sustainable cotton almost doubled last year compared to the previous year. Zeeman has also identified and made public some of the suppliers of the factories with which the chain works, according to a new annual report. There has been a lot of talk about the factories where clothing chains have their clothes made. A critical report about this was recently published by research organizations SOMO and Arisa, in which a link was made with forced labor in Indian spinning mills. Zeeman later confirmed that cotton was purchased in such a spinning mill by an intermediary last year for one of the Indian suppliers that produces for Zeeman. The chain then says that it has entered into a dialogue with the company in question. Because the spinning mill was not willing to talk, Zeeman eventually ended the collaboration. See here for more: https://www.nu.nl/economie/6136707/zeeman-verkoopt-voortaan-ook-lokaal-ingezamelde-tweedehands-kleding.html

Discount Variety Retail Chain B&M saw its group statutory pre-tax profit climb by 108.5% to £525.4 million (US$745 million) in the year to 27 March. Group revenues increased by 25.9% to £4.8 billion (US$6.8 billion) after like-for-like sales at B&M UK stores rose by 23.8%. Group adjusted EBITDA growth was also strong at 83%. Meanwhile, B&M’s Babou business in France achieved an adjusted EBITDA of £11.1 million (US$16 million) despite the disruption caused by ten weeks of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions. Simon Arora, B&M chief executive, said: “The last year has been an exceptional one. Our results reflect the speed at which we responded to the challenges presented by Covid-19, and the strength of our execution. The core B&M UK business, as an essential retailer, traded throughout the year and welcomed a number of new shoppers, with colleagues working tirelessly to maintain on-shelf availability and provide a safe shopping environment. We also made strong progress in France, despite many stores being closed for up to ten weeks throughout the year.” Looking at more recent trading, the company confirmed that B&M UK like-for-like sales in the first nine weeks of the new financial year were 1% down on the corresponding week last year and that trading has been volatile at a weekly and product category level, particularly since the easing of lockdown restrictions. Arora added: “There are many uncertainties as society slowly emerges from lockdown and trading patterns are likely to be unpredictable for much of the year. Within our UK business, we will be up against the strong comparatives from last year but we remain confident that the B&M customer proposition, with its modern network of predominantly Out of Town stores and value-led variety offer, will prove highly relevant to the needs of shoppers. As such, we are well positioned to support the communities in which we trade, retain the loyalty of new customers, and to continue our store roll-out strategy.” See here for more: https://www.theretailbulletin.com/general-merchandise/bm-posts-strong-full-year-profit-uplift-03-06-2021/

Russian Retail Chain Magnit PJSC (MOEX and LSE: MGNT; the Company), one of Russia’s leading retailers, announces it has reached an agreement, under which the Company (through its main operating subsidiary – JSC “Tander”) would acquire the DIXY retail chain, which currently operates 2,651 stores in Russia. DIXY is the third largest retail chain in Russia. Assets to be acquired DIXY Holding Limited is a holding entity for a group of companies that operate 2,612 discounter stores under the DIXY brand with 2020 annual revenue of Rub 281.4 billion (US$3.8Bn) and 39 superstores under the Megamart brand with 2020 annual revenue of Rub 17.4 billion (US$0.24Bn). The majority of the discounter stores are located in Moscow / Moscow region (1,329 stores) and St.Petersburg / Leningrad region (458 stores). The remainder of the stores in the convenience format are located in the Central, North-West and Urals federal districts. Most of the superstores operate in the Sverdlovsk region with 4 stores located in the Tyumen region. Total selling space of the assets to be acquired is approximately 854K sq.m, of which approximately 778K sq.m are in the convenience format and 76K sq.m in the superstore format. 90% of the selling space in the convenience format is rented, while 74% of the selling space in the superstore format is owned. The stores are comparable in terms of size with existing Magnit convenience and superstore formats. As part of the transaction Magnit will also acquire 5 distribution centers with the total space of 189K sq.m located in Moscow, St.Petersburg and the Chelyabinsk region. Agreement and deal price Magnit has entered into an agreement with Mercury Retail Group Limited to acquire 100% shares of DIXY Holding Limited (the “Shares”). Deal price is based on the current enterprise value of Rub 92.4 bn and is subject to certain adjustments depending, among other things, on the net debt and net working capital changes calculated as of closing date. FY 2021 and long-term guidance At this stage Magnit’s full year 2021 store opening, redesign and capex guidance published on February 4th, 2021 remains unchanged. Company’s 2021-2025 long-term targets, including store-openings, redesign, e-commerce development, margins, working capital improvements, leverage, dividend payments, etc. are also confirmed without any changes. It is expected that completion of the transaction will not limit the Company’s ability to continue dividend payments. Jan Dunning, President and CEO of Magnit, commented: “We are pleased to reach an agreement with DIXY Holding Limited shareholders to acquire their business. Magnit’s key strategic priorities focused on return-driven profitable growth stay unchanged. While organic expansion in all core formats remains our primary focus, we are happy to selectively take advantage of this opportunity to support further growth with the acquisition of the strong retail brand. Upon completion of the transaction, we will significantly strengthen our market positions in both capitals, which are strategically important for Magnit’s further expansion in the country. High-quality locations, well-known brand and strong customer base in Moscow and St.Petersburg will allow Magnit to become one of the top-players in the respective regions. Moreover, given scale of the transaction this may substantially improve our overall market position in the sector. Strong physical presence in Moscow and St.Petersburg will provide substantial support to further development of our e-grocery initiatives. Dixy business is planned to remain a separate legal entity with the stores operating under existing Dixy brand. We consider the well-trained frontline and head office Dixy employees to be one of the strengths of the business and welcome them to our team”. Andrey Bodrov, Chief Investment and Strategy Officer, commented: “This strategic deal offers unique exposure to important markets and also provides scope for further improvements of Magnit existing business. We believe that potential synergies in procurement, supply-chain management and other business processes combined with low cannibalization risk will be value accretive and deliver attractive returns to shareholders.” See here for moret: https://www.magnit.com/en/disclosure/regulatory-news/#tabs-Disclosure – in English; http://www.e-disclosure.ru/portal/company.aspx?id=7671 – in Russian.

The latest research from International Private Label Consult (IPLC) identifies a continuing closing of the price gap between European retailers and discounters. Specifically, in its new report, "Mind the Gap - Retailers across Europe continue to close the price gap with Discounts," IPLC analyzed the private label architecture and pricing strategy of 16 retailers in eight countries. The research took Lidl as a proxy for the discount market and compared the findings with IPLC's earlier 2016 research, "Retention of Consumers Tempted by the Discount Model." IPLC concluded that many more retailers are actively looking to bridge the price gap between themselves and discount stores. They are not simply lowering their prices, they are adapting their private label architectures. The result of all this activity has been the closing of price gaps for standard private label brands. Compared to national brands, the standard private label is 47% cheaper, a significant change from 2016, when it was 33% cheaper. The average price gap between Lidl and national brands has remained about the same with 55% cheaper (54% in 2016). The combined effect sees a significant reduction in the price gap between private label retailers and Lidl from 21% in 2016 to now just 8% (on a selected range of products). "This notable increase in the use of private labels to combat discount stores bodes well for future growth in private label volume share in all European markets," the research concludes. See here for more: https://financialfood.es/los-retailers-europeos-reducen-la-brecha-de-precios-de-sus-marcas-propias-con-los-discounters/