Qurexa Logo
Qurexa

Trust. Care. Deliver.

Back to Blog & Insights
Lifestyle

Sixteen years after the rule was written, Aldi and Lidl have been added to it

Qurexa Editorial Team23 October 20266 min read 0 0
Sixteen years after the rule was written, Aldi and Lidl have been added to it

What happened

On 22 October 2026 the Competition and Markets Authority designated Aldi, Lidl GB and Lidl NI as "Large Grocery Retailers". That brings them under a set of rules on land agreements that has applied to other big supermarkets since 2010. The rules come from the Groceries Market Investigation (Controlled Land) Order 2010, introduced after an investigation by the Competition Commission, which was the CMA's predecessor. Until now the Order applied to seven retailers: Asda, Co-op, Marks and Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Waitrose. What the rules do is stop large grocers using land deals to make it harder for a rival supermarket to open nearby. The two main tools being blocked are restrictive covenants, which put conditions on what land can be used for after it is sold, and exclusivity arrangements, which stop a landlord letting space to a competitor. Designated retailers cannot put prohibited restrictions in new land agreements. The CMA can also review existing agreements, if a landowner, developer or rival supermarket asks it to. Juliette Enser, Executive Director for Competition Enforcement and Markets at the CMA, said "now those rules apply to Aldi and Lidl", and that the change would level competition and give shoppers the "best choice of products and prices in their area".

Why this matters

The reason this is happening now is simply that Aldi and Lidl got big. When the Order was written in 2010, they were small players. Today they are among the top five UK retailers by market share, in a food and grocery market worth an estimated £222.7 billion. The rules were designed to apply to whoever is large enough to shape a local market. Aldi and Lidl now are. The effect of a restrictive covenant is easy to miss because it happens before anything is built. A chain buys a site, opens a store, later sells the land, and attaches a condition saying it cannot be used as a supermarket. Years pass. A competitor looks at the site, finds the condition, and walks away. Nobody in the town ever knows there was nearly a second supermarket. That is why the rule is about land rather than prices. If only one shop can realistically open in your area, nothing else about competition law is going to help you much.

What the evidence actually says

Two things are worth being clear-eyed about. First, this is not a finding that Aldi or Lidl have done anything wrong. It is a designation based on size. The CMA consulted on the proposal in August 2026. Morrisons, Waitrose and Iceland supported it. The CMA received no representations from Aldi, Lidl GB or Lidl NI. A company that objected to being treated as a major supermarket would normally say so. Second, nobody should expect prices to move because of this. The rule removes a barrier to new stores opening over time. That is a slow effect, and it works through choice rather than through price controls. Anyone telling you your weekly shop will be cheaper next month because of a land order is overselling it. A small practical detail worth noting: Lidl operates separately in Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which is why Lidl GB and Lidl NI are designated separately. Aldi has no stores in Northern Ireland. The more immediately useful part is the review power. If you are a landowner, a developer or a competing retailer and you believe an existing agreement is unfairly blocking a site, you can ask the CMA to look at it. That is a real route, and it is now open against more of the market than it was last week.

Qurexa perspective

We deliver groceries as well as prescriptions, so we see the gaps in the map every week. In parts of rural Lincolnshire the nearest full-size food shop is a bus ride away, and for some of our customers that bus ride is not realistic. Rules about land agreements will not fix that quickly. What they can do, slowly, is make it less likely that a site sits empty for a decade because of a condition written into a deed years ago. In the meantime, the practical answer for a lot of households is the same as it has been: if getting to the shop is hard, delivery is not a luxury. And if you are already having medicines delivered, it is worth asking whether your groceries can come the same way.

Practical advice

**If you are a landowner or developer** and think an old covenant or exclusivity clause is blocking a site unfairly, you can ask the CMA to review the agreement. That applies to agreements involving any designated retailer. **If you are a small retailer** being asked to sign an exclusivity arrangement by a large grocer, it is worth getting advice on whether the Order applies. **As a shopper, do not expect a price change.** This is about where shops can open, not what they charge. **Do keep comparing.** Price differences between supermarkets on the same basket remain large, and comparison sites and apps are free. **If a new store is proposed near you,** local planning consultations are where residents actually get a say on access, parking and traffic. Those run through your council, not the CMA. **If you struggle to get to a shop,** check whether your council or a local charity runs a community transport or shopping scheme. Many do, and they are under-used.

What to know

The CMA has designated Aldi, Lidl GB and Lidl NI as Large Grocery Retailers, bringing them under 2010 rules that stop supermarkets using restrictive covenants and exclusivity deals to block rivals opening nearby. Seven chains were already covered. The change reflects the fact that Aldi and Lidl are now among the top five UK retailers in a market worth an estimated £222.7 billion. It is not a finding of wrongdoing, and it will not change prices directly. The useful part is that landowners, developers and rival retailers can ask the CMA to review existing agreements. Sources: GOV.UK (Competition and Markets Authority), "Aldi and Lidl will be subject to same rules as major supermarkets", 22 October 2026, https://www.gov.uk/government/news/aldi-and-lidl-will-be-subject-to-same-rules-as-major-supermarkets; GOV.UK, "Competition and Markets Authority", https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/competition-and-markets-authority. This article is for general information only. It is not legal, financial or medical advice. For anything about your own health or medicines, speak to a doctor, pharmacist or other qualified healthcare professional.

#supermarkets#CMA#competition#grocery shopping#food prices#consumer rights

Related articles