Lidl’s middle aisle, renowned for its unique inventory including anything from power tools to inflatables, is particularly popular among men, according to one of the supermarket’s execs.
The ‘Middle of Lidl’ has a “large male following”, Lidl's GB chief executive Ryan McDonnell said, as he told the BBC: “We often get partners at odds with each other because men have disappeared up the aisle and are buying things they maybe already have.”
Middle-aisle finds have been the subject of many YouTube videos, Reddit discussions and Facebook groups in recent years.
One Reddit user once shared that they’d bought “ice spikes that slide onto your shoes”. “I had to buy them, of course,” they said. “This was 8 years ago and I’ve yet to use them.”
Another user purchased a “flamethrower [...] for getting rid of weeds apparently,” while a third picked up an item that eventually kickstarted a music career.
“I bought a trumpet for about £80, spent a couple of years learning to play it, then played with several jazz bands round Glasgow,” they said. “Great buy.”
Mr McDonnell’s comment came as Lidl revealed a £43m pre-tax profit, improving from a £76m deficit the year before.
This month marks 30 years since Lidl first came to the UK and it is currently the sixth-largest grocery store in the country, with more than 960 stores.
Having worked for the company for the whole of its existence, Mr McDonnell also recalled how early stores were crammed with strange goods.
“I remember selling pallets of more continental products. We’ve come a long way, evolving our ranges," he said.
Away from the centre aisle, customers are already spending a significant amount of money on panettone, party food, and mince pies ahead of the festive season, the chief exec added.
And even though the economy is struggling, he claimed Lidl had gained a lot of consumers, many of whom are in a “confident mood” for Christmas.
