You might not expect people to opt for a premium range amidst a cost of living crisis, but Aldi's luxury own-label Specially Selected range is outpacing other products. While it could indicate easing financial pressures for some, it's also possible that shoppers are moving away from the traditional "bigger" brands, while others prefer to dine at home instead of eating out. Aldi UK boss Giles Hurley suggests customers are again more inclined to indulge themselves with pricier items and have been 'trading up' to luxury own-label products including Wagyu steak, high-end cheese, ready meals and brioche buns.
In fact, with a shift towards home celebrations, this year Aldi's Specially Selected range will constitute over 50% of its overall Christmas offering for the first time, reports the MEN . With this in mind, I decided to see how their products stack up against Marks and Spencer, sampling some of Aldi's most popular Specially Selected items. Now, M&S has a reputation for the superior quality of its food and has recently been causing a stir with its own Remarksable range, which has been winning over shoppers with its competitive prices.
But overall, it still ranks among the priciest for many groceries outside of that range, so I wanted to see how they compare in terms of price and taste. Despite the unavailability of Wagyu steaks in the Aldi stores I visited, possibly due to their popularity, I decided to try fillet steaks from both retailers. At Aldi, a 28-day matured fillet st.