Ale could become the latest front in the war for grocery market share as Lidl unveils a new beer fixture and line-up.
The discounter has today (22 June) launched the Brewery concept, that will stock beers from a national range of top-selling ales, and support regional and local brewers. Stores in eight UK regions will offer six different locally sourced ales, and Lidl said it was working closely with British suppliers ranging from “small-scale micro-breweries to large-scale household names”. Lidl will also carry world lagers and ciders on a national level.
The concept - which is being fronted by musician and food columnist Alex James and includes new-look merchandising materials - looks set to challenge the supermarkets head-on in terms of price.
Analysis of a selection of ales stocked by Lidl (see below) shows the retailer is matching or undercutting the big five supermarkets on price (including multi-buy discounts) on many national and regional lines.
Beer pricing: How Lidl compares with big five
| Product | Size | Asda | Lidl | Morrisons | Sainsbury’s | Tesco | Waitrose |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National (stocked across Lidl estate) | |||||||
| Hobgoblin Strong Dark Ale 5.2% | 500ml | £1.25 | £1.17 | £1.50 | £1.25 | £1.17 | £1.17 |
| Old Speckled Hen Ale 5% | 500ml | £1.25 | £1.17 | £1.50 | £1.67 | £1.25 | £1.55 |
| Bishops Finger Ale 5.4% | 500ml | £1.25 | £1.25 | £1.50 | £1.25 | £1.25 | £1.99 |
| Marstons Pedigree Ale 4.5% | 500ml | N/A | £1.25 | £0.99 | £2.00 | £1.50 | £1.99 |
| Spitfire Premium Ale 4.5% | 500ml | £1.25 | £1.25 | £1.50 | £1.67 | £1.25 | £1.50 |
| Regional (stocked only in certain regions) | |||||||
| Thwaites Lancaster Bomber 4.4% | 500ml | £1.25 | £1.49 | N/A | N/A | N/A | £1.67 |
| Shepherd Neame Masterbrew Kentish Ale 4% | 500ml | £1.25 | £1.49 | £1.50 | £1.67 | £1.25 | £1.50 |
| Greene King IPA Ale 3.6% | 500ml | N/A | £1.49 | £1.50 | £2.00 | £1.24 | £1.24 |
| Jennings Cumberland Ale 4% | 500ml | £1.25 | £1.49 | N/A | N/A | £1.64 | £1.99 |
| McEwans Champion Ale 7.3% | 500ml | £1.48 | £1.48 | £1.50 | £2.00 | £1.50 | N/A |
Source: Brand View 22 June 2015 (prices include promotions and multi-buys)
Lidl said the launch followed “the incredible success” of wine and spirits offering, which it claimed had grown almost 40% year on year.
“The quality and provenance of our new product range is key to us with this initiative,” said Lidl senior buying manager Ben Hulme. “We have refined the current selection by going out and trying every single beer on the market and have handpicked a selection of regional ales that will showcase some of the best craft ales available in the UK, and will reflect the regions that they’re being stocked in.”
This week’s initial launch will be followed with second rollout from 1 September.
The Lidl activity follows a similar launch by The Co-operative Food last month, when it introduced 40 new regional ales from across Britaintaking the total number of ales offered by the retailer to 111. Stores carry beers from a core range of national ales - including Old Speckled Hen, Hobgoblin and Sharp’s Doom Bar – along with beers offered only in the region where they are brewed.
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