You might not anticipate people opting for a premium range amidst a cost of living crisis, but it seems to be a trend — and it makes sense in many ways. Aldi's high-end own-label Specially Selected range is outpacing other products, a trend that's becoming common across the broader grocery market as well. While it could indicate that some are beginning to feel less financial pressure, it's also likely that some shoppers are choosing traditional "bigger" brands less, while others are opting to eat at home instead of dining out.
Giles Hurley, Aldi UK boss, suggests that shoppers are more inclined to indulge in pricier items and have been 'trading up' to premium own-label products such as Wagyu steak, luxury 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 . With this in mind, we decided to compare these products to those of Marks and Spencer, sampling some of Aldi's most popular Specially Selected items.
Now, M&S is renowned for the high quality of its food and has recently been making a splash with its own Remarksable range, which has been winning over shoppers with its affordable prices. However, it still ranks among the priciest for many groceries outside of that range, so we wanted to see how they stack up in terms of price and taste. Despite the unavailability of Wagyu steaks in the Aldi stores we visited,.