Overview
- Aldi opened 2026 with price cuts on about 40 everyday items, escalating its discount rivalry with Lidl.
- Smhaggle’s review of Lidl’s 2025 pledge to lower 500 items found more than a quarter are now costlier, citing Dulano organic liverwurst rising from €1.39 to €1.69, Strolchi vegan gummies up €0.30 and Chef Select potato salad up €0.20, and it estimates average Lidl spending in 2025 was about €0.60 higher than in 2024.
- Lidl rejects the criticism and says up to 900 products are currently cheaper than before, though it has not shared a verifiable list of items.
- Industry monitoring by Lebensmittel Zeitung reports none of its tracked branded products is cheaper than a year ago, despite earlier relief on some private-label lines as raw-material costs fell.
- Consumer backlash has intensified online, with viral posts singling out Milka chocolate at €1.99 for 85g and referencing shrinkflation concerns.