Christmas sales at Aldi topped £1bn for the first time as the German-owned retailer continued its rapid expansion in the UK (The Guardian). Christmas sales at Aldi have topped £1bn for the first time, driven by demand for alcoholic drinks, premium products and fresh British meat (The Times £). Supermarket Aldi sold 55million mince pies over a festive period which saw British shoppers spend record amounts at the German discount chain (The Daily Mail).

Thirsty shoppers helped push festive sales at Aldi above £1bn for the first time - despite a slowdown in growth (The Telegraph). Aldi has said demand for its champagne and prosecco range helped UK sales over the festive period rise to more than £1bn for the first time (Sky News).

Aldi has experienced a slowdown in UK sales growth during the busy festive period compared with previous years, even though revenues exceeded £1bn for the first time as consumers splashed out on the discount group’s alcohol and premium food ranges (The Financial Times £).

Aldi’s Christmas sales aren’t as great as they look, but they still put the rest to shame, says Ben Marlow in The Telegraph. “New store openings will almost certainly have been the primary driver of growth… In fact, its Christmas trading report is arguably more of a clever marketing tool than a true snapshot of underlying performance.” (The Telegraph)

Creditors of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver’s failed Italian restaurant chain are set to lose most of the £80m they are owed after its collapse last May, according to administrator KPMG. (The Financial Times £)

Boris Johnson is facing demands for cash compensation that could run to more than £100m for any disruption caused by Brexit to Northern Ireland’s businesses (The Guardian). A coalition of Northern Irish industry and political leaders is calling on Whitehall to shoulder the costs that they say local businesses will face after Britain’s departure from the European Union (The Times £).

A plant-based pork substitute has been launched in Las Vegas by one of the leading “alternative meat” producers. Impossible Foods, the firm behind the Impossible Burger, says it hopes to appeal to a global audience with its latest vegetarian-friendly meal. (The BBC)

The FT looks at the impact of the German discounters on fellow German retail group Metro. “Wonky wheels on Metro’s cart have left it directionless for some time, hurt by competition from discounters. For this reason Metro will leave supermarket retailing and focus on wholesaling.” (The Financial Times £)

HSBC downgraded its rating on the shares of Bakkavor yesterday, citing industry data towards the end of last year that showed “very weak” grocery sales. Their biggest concern, however, was the rise of Aldi and Lidl, the German discounters, which continue to eat into the market share of the supermarket stalwarts that Bakkavor supplies. (The Times £)

The world’s largest caterer has begun the search for a new chairman, as Paul Walsh prepares to step down after six years at Compass Group. (The Financial Times £)

A128,000 sq ft retail park is set to be converted into warehouses for online sellers in a landmark deal that underlines the changes sweeping the industry. (The Telegraph)

With three consecutive years of like-for-like sales growth of 6%, Chilango would, in normal circumstances, have been lauded. The reality is that the Mexican restaurant chain has been fighting for survival. (The Times £)

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