Lidl has risked the wrath of another big brand fmcg supplier by unveiling an own-label cola branded Christmas truck.

In a move likely to agitate Coca-Cola, the discounter is to send its Freeway cola truck to nine cities across the UK from 14 November. The truck will give away present boxes, food shops and food samples to visitors.

It comes the same week Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) revealed its own Coca-Cola Christmas Truck Tour would be returning later this month.

For every visitor to its tour, CCEP has pledged to donate 20p to food redistribution charity FareShare.

Lidl, which made no reference to Coca-Cola’s in unveiling its truck, said the activation was about “giving back to the communities we serve”.

“By touring nine stops across the country, we’ll be using our giant truck to hand out present boxes, give away festive food shops and grant wishes that will make dreams come true,” said Lidl GB Marketing director Joanna Gomer.

Discounters Lidl and Aldi’s penchant for copying high-profile suppliers’ products with their cheaper private-label alternatives is well documented.

Read more: How discounters are getting away with copycatting

Shoppers at Lidl will be familiar with imitation products including Wholegrain Wheat Bixies (Weetabix), Choco Nussa (Nutella) and Freeway (Coca-Cola).

In 2021, the German discounter was ordered to temporarily withdraw its Hampstead gin brand across Scotland after a high-profile trademark dispute with Hendricks.

Aldi, meanwhile, successfully defended a high court case of its own against Thatchers earlier this year. The Somerset cidermaker is appealing the judge’s ruling that Aldi’s Cloudy Lemon Taurus cider did not take “unfair advantage of” Thatchers’ trademark for its own Cloudy Lemon variant.

The Grocer has approached CCEP for comment.

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