New Worldpanel data published on the 5th January 2026 acknowledged that Lidl’s sales were up by 10% in the 12 weeks to 28 December 2025. This makes Lidl the fastest growing bricks and mortar grocer, the only one to notch up a double digit increase in sales.
This reinforces that economic pressures, lack of consumer confidence and the desire to ‘celebrate on a budget’ were key drivers for shoppers.
How will this affect customer discussions in 2026 as suppliers strive to finalise their JBP and hit the New Year running? All other retailers will be concerned about this sustained growth of the leading discounters (Aldi were also up 3.9% over the Christmas period.) Competing retailers will be keen to regain share and believe that price is battleground. This will lead to tough discussions and further requests for investment support, better prices and increased promotional support. Are your teams prepared for these discussions? Are they able to leverage all the tools available to them?
The British Brands Group, founded in 1994, is a non-profit-making membership organisation. Its role is to speak out authoritatively on behalf of brands and to represent them collectively when relevant commercial and regulatory issues arise. It provides a range of affordable functional training (both in person and virtual via MS Teams) to support suppliers increase their sales teams’ capabilities. The areas of focus are:
GSCOP: The Groceries Code of Practice (GSCOP), monitored and enforced by the Groceries Code Adjudicator (GCA), ensures large supermarkets deal fairly and lawfully with their direct suppliers of groceries, whether fresh, branded or private label. Such suppliers need to understand the Code and how to use it constructively.
Competition Law and Compliance: Training in competition law is crucial for all suppliers, whether of branded or other products, to ensure they understand and comply with legal requirements and prevent anti-competitive practices. Confidence and knowledge in this area helps suppliers negotiate fair terms, avoid being exploited and resist trading practices that may harm their competitiveness.
NEW FOR 2026: Negotiating to Win – a foundation one day classroom event that will increase negotiation capability. This highly interactive course, which includes exploration of behaviours, tactics, language, and provides a toolkit and allows delegates to practice new skills via a case study and receive feedback.
Accelerating Growth with Amazon – two offerings Marketing and Vendor Management. Understanding how best to trade with Amazon is vital for commercial success as it helps suppliers navigate Amazon’s complex platform, policies and algorithms. This knowledge allows for listing optimisation, effective pricing strategies and inventory management. It also ensures compliance with Amazon’s rules, reducing the risk of chargebacks and account suspension.
Why not explore how we can support your teams?