Capital Economy, Business and Finance
The supermarket Lidl reported a pre-tax profit of £43 million, a swing into the green from its £76 million loss the year before.
This is down to the 326,000 new shoppers it has added, growth in fresh produce sales and a focus on upgrading existing stores rather than opening new ones.
Oh, and the middle aisle.
Lidl’s UK boss made a point of mentioning the fabled section in an interview with the BBC, saying it had a “big male following”. Touted as the place “for household kit that you never knew you needed”, the middle aisle has been known to sell everything from two-man canoes to ice spikes, cement mixers and flamethrowers.
Last month it was the subject of a song by the Welsh hip-hop group Goldie Lookin Chain. That’s advertising you can’t buy.
