Lidl review

It claims to be 'big on quality, Lidl on price' – but what do customers really think of Lidl's product quality and value for money?

In the annual Which? supermarkets survey, 443 Lidl customers rated the retailer on everything from queuing time to the quality of its food and its prices. 

This enabled us to work out star ratings for different factors as well as an overall customer score.

Are Lidl stores any good?

A reasonable performance

Lidl is in joint fourth place in our in-store league table once again this year, alongside Iceland. It received its highest rating for value for money with four stars, matching its rival Aldi. No supermarket received five stars for value for money this year so Lidl and Aldi were the most highly rated on this measure.

Its customers were unimpressed with the availability and helpfulness of its staff – it received the lowest rating of any supermarket for this, with a poor two stars out of five. It was also rated two stars for stock availability, its range of products and queuing times.

It got an average three stars for the quality of its products and the appearance of its stores.

One customer said: 'I like the price of a lot of Lidl's products and most of the time they are of satisfactory quality. Sadly, most of the time, the shop is very busy and the queue times are always on the lengthy side. The staff have always been friendly and helpful when needed.'

Another added: 'Some good prices, however I could not do a weekly shop here due to an insufficient range of products. Too many Middle of Lidl offers taking up room.'

• Find out more: see how the big players compare in our guide to the best and worst supermarkets

Does Lidl sell online?

Lidl doesn't offer home delivery on groceries or its non-food Middle of Lidl products, and it doesn't have a click-and-collect service.

In 2019 there was speculation that the retailer was planning to launch an online grocery delivery service, but it seems to have shelved these plans.

• Find out more: supermarket price comparison: which is the UK's cheapest grocer?

Lidl in the news

Lidl was narrowly beaten by Aldi as the cheapest supermarket of 2022 according to our research, which we revealed in January 2023. The research looked at which supermarket won the cheapest supermarket of the month title most times in 2022. Aldi won seven times, Lidl won five.

In October 2022, Lidl said it had become the first UK supermarket to give customers access to refills in 'smart' pouches on shelves in stores, with a trial of refillable laundry detergent. This saves customers 20p on each product they refill compared to buying the single-use equivalent, as well as cutting plastic use. The pouches also use a third less plastic than bottles with the same capacity.

In the same month, Lidl joined other supermarkets in removing coloured caps from its milk bottles by replacing all green caps with clear ones as they're easier to recycle.

In January 2022, Lidl announced that it was opening its 900th UK store in Liverpool. It aims to have 1,100 by the end of 2025.

• Find out more: what supermarkets are doing to help with the cost of living

Which? Affordable Food For All campaign

Which? has launched an Affordable Food For All campaign after it found millions of families are skipping meals to survive the cost of living crisis. 

In an innovative new study, undertaken with researchers from the Consumer Data Research Centre at the University of Leeds, we've identified 50 of the most at-risk areas for finding affordable food in the UK.

We're calling on supermarkets to commit to clear pricing, better access to budget ranges that enable healthy choices, and more offers for those who need them most.

• Do you want to see supermarkets take action? Sign the petition