Popular Aldi and Lidl feature set to be launched in Morrisons
Supermarket chain Morrisons will now aim to sell items in the middle aisle for around half the normal price to compete with similar strategies at Aldi and Lidl.
Morrisons, the UK’s fifth-largest grocery franchise, suffered a pre-tax financial loss of £381 million in the year to October 2025. Although this is an improvement on losses of £414 million in 2023-24.
The business lost the title of Britain’s fourth largest grocer to Aldi in September 2022 and is predicted by some experts to soon be overtaken by Lidl in the rankings of UK supermarkets.
To compete, Morrisons CEO Rami Baitiéh announced a further 2,500 price cuts at the beginning of January and wants to turn Morrisons into a one-stop shop where customers can get all their needs without leaving. It’s a step away from Morrisons’ traditional roots, known for its fresh British produce, formal stalls and bakeries.
The supermarket is now taking inspiration from the strategies Aldi and Lidl implemented early last year; Here they offer limited-time deals for a period of two to three weeks on products placed in the middle of the supermarket. Discounted items can include everything from kitchen supplies to bicycles, towels and suitcases.
Former Aldi UK chief Paul Foley said the “middle aisle” strategy had proven “incredibly profitable”. Telegram. He explained: “Aisles account for 10 to 15 percent of total sales, but they are actually more profitable on a percentage basis than the grocery side of the business.”
In November, Morrisons relaunched its “When It’s Gone, It’s Gone” range, but initially ran into supply issues and safety standards. It had difficulty competing with German companies, which could offer much lower prices by purchasing in bulk.
But Morrisons has since insisted it has turned things around and is advancing the strategy after seeing positive results.
Thanks to the mid-aisle range, overall product sales increased by 10 percent at Christmas, which Baitiéh described as a standout success.
Mr Baitiéh said: “We had a good Christmas in 2025 and provided a solid foundation for the first quarter. The grocery market remains competitive as we move into 2026 and we are committed to focusing on delivering good value and keeping prices low for our customers, announcing a further 2,500 price reductions at the beginning of January.”
The supermarket aims to double its sales in the coming years using this mid-aisle strategy and has since hired former B&M executive Simon Buckley as its new General Merchandise trading director.
