Overview
- Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd introduced permanent cuts on multiple meat items, including 800 g pork mince to €3.79 from €3.99, 500 g pork gyros to €3.99 from €4.29, 500 g beef mince to €6.19 from €6.49, mixed mince to €4.79 from €4.99, and organic pork schnitzel to €4.89.
- The reductions arrive despite rising beef costs, with producer prices up 25.7% year over year in November 2025, while pork prices fell 8.5% in the same period.
- Aldi is promoting the move under the slogan “Germany’s true price leader,” a positioning that trade outlet Lebensmittel Zeitung says intensifies pressure on Lidl and rivals.
- A comparison by Smhaggle reports that more than a quarter of Lidl’s items once labeled as permanently cheaper now cost more, in some cases above pre-campaign levels, and that average Lidl spending in 2025 rose about €0.60 versus 2024.
- Lidl rejects the criticism, claiming 900 products are currently cheaper but declining to list them, as consumer frustration grows with examples such as Milka bars shrinking to 85 g while holding a €1.99 price.