Lidl Supermarket sells budget kilts

[McClef]

Looks like they are only available in Lidl stores in Scotland so we need our spies there to have a recce!

[Pour1Malt]

yikes...

ai shudder tae think o' it....

[Darkislander]

In the press today (fri 11 jan), they stated that there will also be sporrans, kilt socks and jack shirts. There is no confirmed date as yet, but I think they could be worth a look. They would do for football outings don't you think?

[Monkey@Arms]

In the press today (fri 11 jan), they stated that there will also be sporrans, kilt socks and jack shirts. There is no confirmed date as yet, but I think they could be worth a look. They would do for football outings don't you think?

Socks, eh? Now its getting interesting.

Best regards,

Jake

[graham_s]

there's a Lidl just round the corner from me, I think I'll have a peek and see what's what

[TheKiltedWonder]

I have a feeling they might not be top quality, but they've pared down the selection to three, which will reduce production costs and I'm not sure if the kilts are intended to turn any profit. They may just be a gimmick to get shoppers in and buying stuff. If they're going to a party, they'll need more supplies than just a kilt. Maybe they're being sold at cost or even slightly under-cost. That said, I know they won't be works of art either.

P.S. If anyone notices a decent looking kilt jacket there for cheap P.M. me. Of course, by the time the dollar stops sinking and after shipping, I'm sure it'll still be expensive.

[Monkey@Arms]

Supermarket stocks cut-price kilts

A supermarket is offering patriotic Scots cut-price kilts ahead of Burns Night.
The £24.99 kilts are being stocked in Lidl stores across Scotland to mark the birthday of the country's national bard.

Customers on a budget who want to wear traditional Highland dress on January 25 can buy the kilt in one of three tartans - Black Watch, MacKenzie and Douglas.

Lidl stores are also stocking Jacobite shirts for £12.99, sporrans for £12.99 and socks at £3.99 a pair.

A Lidl spokeswoman said: "The reason behind this is to further promote Burns Night.

"We already sell haggis, neeps and tatties and so we decided it would tie in nicely to sell the kilts too. We are looking forward to seeing what sort of reaction this will get. We are really excited about it."

Ken MacDonald, a governor of the Scottish Tartans Authority and owner of Houston Kiltmakers in Paisley, said the emergence of cut-price kilts was affecting the trade of upmarket kilt retailers.

"There is a lot of imported stuff coming in from places like India, China and Pakistan and there is a market for it," he said.

"However, these cheaper kilts are acrylic and are only three to four yards, whereas a proper kilt should be the full eight yards. The majority of folk buying Highland wear want to buy something that is high quality and will last a lifetime."

The cost of a full traditional kilt outfit ranges from around £450 to £1,200.

Best regards,

Jake


P.S. If you google Lidl and kilts the first two hits are this thread.

[Monkey@Arms]

And now the predictable backlash.

Trader hits out at £25 'piece of crap' supermarket kilts


By GARETH EDWARDS

A LEADING Edinburgh kiltmaker today launched a furious attack on plans to sell £25 kilts at Scottish supermarkets.

Discount superstore chain Lidl will stock the cut-price kilts from January 21, to allow people on a budget to celebrate Burns night.

But Howie Nicholsby, of Geoffrey (Tailor) Kiltmakers on the High Street, described the kilts as 'a piece of crap', and said the move was a 'slap in the face' to Burns which could destroy the kilt's reputation across Europe.

Lidl said the kilts were being provided by "a Scottish supplier", but could not say where they had been made.

Mr Nicholsby, who has previously hit out at "tartan tat" being sold on the Royal Mile, said there was no way they could have been made in Scotland.

"Burns would be turning in his grave at this, and it is not so much a celebration of his heritage as a slap in the face to it," he said.

"These are nothing more than cheap imports, and it is this kind of product which is doing irreparable damage to the industry.

"A good kilt will last a lifetime but that kind of quality costs.

"Anything on the market under £100 is imported, and anything at that kind of price is nothing but a piece of crap.

"It will fall apart after it has been worn once, but the sad thing is Lidl don't care about that – they think it's a way to make a fast buck."

Mr Nicholsby also suggested Holyrood should appeal to the EU to give Scottish tartan and Scottish-made kilts protected status.

He said: "Currently you get kilts 'designed in Scotland', but manufactured in India, and yet some people will think they are traditional Scottish kilts."

Ken MacDonald, governor of the Scottish Tartan Authority, added that it was important people did not think the cut-price kilt was "the real thing".

"There's a market for this imported stuff which is usually made in India or Pakistan, but it shouldn't be passed off as the real thing made here, which is of a far higher standard," he said.

A Lidl spokeswoman said the kilts were aimed at people who could not afford to buy a traditional kilt, but still wanted to wear national dress for Burns night.

She said: "It is a casual kilt, and I don't think it will have any impact on the business of traditional kiltmakers. This is something for people who maybe can't afford a traditional kilt."

This picture accompanied the article but I'm not 100% clear whether it was depicting the actual merchandise.



Best regards,

Jake

[graham_s]

That "leading Edinburgh Kilt maker" threw me out of his shop because I was wearing my heritage kilt. he's rude and ill-mannered. I'd never give him any of my business.
a couple of months after that little visit, I spent around £1000 on a full outfit for my sisters wedding. Needless to say he didn't get my business.

[Paul Henry]

Is it just me who really doesn't think cheap kilts are a good idea?

Not that long ago there were heated debates about "the Gold Brothers" and the Royal Mile kilt Makers having a rough time.

I'm all for competition and for encouraging people to wear kilts, but somehow quality products are important for me.

Kilts have always been expensive, but a good kilt could well outlive the owner, I can't imagine a £25 one doing that.

I speak as a craftsman who values good materials and skills, and really doesn#t want to die out