CMA proposes bringing Aldi and Lidl under same land rules as UK’s biggest supermarkets
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has proposed that Aldi and Lidl be brought under the same land agreement rules as the UK’s largest supermarkets, in a move designed to give customers greater choice over where they shop.
Under the proposal, Aldi and Lidl would be blocked from using land agreements to stop rival supermarkets from opening near their stores.
Following a review, the regulator has provisionally decided that the two retailers should be subject to rules set out in the Groceries Market Investigation (Controlled Land) Order 2010, which already apply to the UK’s biggest supermarket chains, including Asda, Co-op, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose.
Subscribe to TRBWhen the Order was introduced in 2010, Aldi and Lidl were exempt because they were classed as limited assortment discounters. These were retailers offering a narrower range of groceries at lower prices than bigger supermarkets.
However, the CMA has now provisionally found that both chains have outgrown that classification for several reasons.
It said many of their stores now have a shopfloor area exceeding 1,000 square metres and both carry a full range of groceries, even if they offer less choice within some categories than established rivals. It also stated that Aldi and Lidl now operate an integrated procurement model, purchasing groceries directly from suppliers through their own wholesaling function.
The CMA is inviting stakeholders to submit views on the provisional findings by 5pm on Monday 7 September 2026. It will then consider the responses to enable final decisions to be reached in the autumn.
Juliette Enser, executive director of competition enforcement and markets at the CMA, said: “We want everyone to have the best choice of supermarket and range of prices when buying their groceries. To ensure this happens, we put rules in place to prevent big supermarket chains blocking rival stores from opening nearby – and now we propose applying those rules to Aldi and Lidl too.
“This is about allowing shoppers to choose where they spend their money and levelling the playing field for all major supermarkets. Today’s proposals are provisional and we welcome views before deciding the best way forward.”
