Men buy more from Lidl's bargain centre aisle

More men are flocking to buy items from the middle of Lidl, a bargain aisle famously offering a quirky array of power tools, canoes and even flamethrowers.

UK boss Ryan McDonnell said the chain's centre rows had a 'big male following' and had become synonymous with being the place to grab a must-have purchase - even if customers enter the store originally for a different purpose.

Lidl has grown in popularity across Britain since it arrived 30 years ago, with the German discount supermarket chain this morning reporting a return to profit.

The company confirmed a pre-tax profit of £43million in 2023/24 compared to a loss of £76m the previous year. 

It also saw a 16.9 per cent jump in revenue, with sales of nearly £11bn.

While not wholly attributable to that success, Mr McDonnell does believe the centre aisle has become a talking point and attracted more male shoppers through the doors.

A wealth of Facebook pages, Reddit threads and Youtube videos are even dedicated to documenting the middle-aisle finds.

Speaking to the BBC, Mr McDonnell said: 'We often get partners at odds with each other because men have disappeared up the aisle and are buying things they maybe already have.'  

He added: 'There are some interesting shopping habits in this aisle. I would say there are a lot of men in trouble when they come in here.'

Read More

Christmas adverts 2024: Watch all the heartwarming ads so far including Lidl, Disney and John Lewis

On a Reddit thread about quirky finds, one user wrote: 'My mum came back with a two-man canoe despite not living near any suitable body of water or being interested in canoeing previously.'

Another said: 'I bought a trumpet for about £80, spent a couple of years learning to play it, then played with several jazz bands round Glasgow. Great buy.'

A third wrote that they had purchased a gazebo, adding: 'I only went in there for some sausages.'

Other novel items that found their way into people's shopping trolleys including a flamethrower for getting rid of weeds, ice spikes that attach to shoes, a cement mixer, electric hoist, snack helmet and an inflatable hot tub.

Customers have also ended up purchasing pocket prosecco glasses, an inflatable avocado with removable beach ball core, a seascooter, a welding helmet, a microwave potato cooker, a vacuum sealer and a UV phone sanitiser.