Lobsters on sale at discount retailer Lidl are “flying off the shelves” as cash-strapped customers continue to shop for bargain deals amid the current economic downturn.
The shellfish, which can retail for as much as £35 at top London stores, are on offer at just £4.99 – a third of the price charged by some fishmongers.
Lidl spokesman Marco Ivone said the pre-cooked, frozen wild Canadian lobsters are targeted especially at consumers in the run-up to Christmas, but added that there are only a “finite number” of the lobsters available.
The German supermarket has up to 350,000 of the 375g shellfish, caught in the North West Atlantic, in supply .
“They are absolutely flying off the shelves, but it’s one of the specials so once they’re gone, they’re gone,” commented Ivone.
He added that the grocer expects its rivals to hit back with their similar promotions once they realise that they have been caught “on the hop”.
Tesco has responded by launching its own half-price promotion on frozen lobsters, making them available for just £6. Other stores are expected to follow suit.
The Lidl move comes as supermarkets continue to entice customers on a budget with a trend of “credit crunch cuisine”.
However, the discount grocer denied it is aiming to cash in as shoppers tighten their belts and is instead just carrying on its long-term pricing strategy.
“People are more price conscious but we’re not doing anything different since we came to the UK in 1994,” said Ivone.
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