Lidl revealed an 18% jump in revenue and record sales for the four weeks to 27 December.

Sales soared over the Christmas period and the average basket size grew by almost 25% year-on-year as the discount supermarket sold 7,000 glasses of mulled wine and almost 17,000 deluxe mince pies every hour.

Christian Härtnagel, Lidl GB CEO, said:

“Despite this Christmas being a difficult time for many across the country, we are pleased to have been able to help our customers enjoy themselves. As we look ahead to this year, we remain committed to our expansion and investment plans.”

Lidl is opening four new stores across the country, which will create 120 jobs. The supermarket is on track to have 1,000 stores by 2023.

Hartnagel said: “I’m proud of our fantastic teams, from our colleagues working on the shop floor to our colleagues in the warehouse and across our offices, who have driven our expansion efforts around the country.

“We’re looking forward to opening our doors to even more communities this year and into this new decade where we see so much potential for further growth.”

The strong sales at Lidl have meant it is the fastest-growing retailer versus the big four supermarkets: Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Morrisons.

Last month, Lidl said that it would pay back millions in business rates relief. Lidl said the tax relief had been “vital in allowing the discounter to make significant quick unplanned investments”, however, the supermarket was now able to pay back the £100m.