Lidl has issued an update for customers ahead of the Early May Bank Holiday on Monday.

The supermarket has warned its shoppers that opening times will vary in its stores across the country.

Customers have also been told to expect busier supermarkets on Saturday, as is often the case on Bank Holiday weekends.

In an update to shoppers, Lidl warned: “Lidl has confirmed that over the early May Bank Holiday its opening hours will vary across the country, so customers are advised to check their local store’s opening hours via the online store finder or through the Lidl Plus app.

“As with other bank holidays, Saturday is expected to be the busiest day, with quieter shopping times typically between 8am–10am and after 6pm.”

The bank holiday comes after the latest figures showed grocery price inflation had surged to its highest level for over a year as chocolate prices soared by nearly a fifth.

The latest data from retail analysts Kantar showed that grocery inflation rose to 3.8% in the four weeks to April 20, up from 3.5% in the previous month and the highest since the four weeks to March 17 last year.

Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar, said: “The grocers have been sharpening their pricing strategies to stay competitive in the fight for footfall.

“They’ve invested in price cuts which were the main driver of promotional growth.

“Often linked to loyalty cards, spending on these deals grew by £347 million.

“At Tesco and Sainsbury’s, nearly 20% of items sold are on a price match, and they end up in almost two thirds of baskets.”

The latest supermarket share price data showed Ocado was the fastest-growing retailer once again in the 12 weeks to April 20 – a title it has held continuously for nearly a year now.

The online grocer’s sales grew by 11.8% year-on-year in the quarter, while it increased its market share to 1.9% from 1.8% a year ago.

German discounters Lidl and Aldi continued to make solid gains, with sales growth of 10.1% and 5.9% and market shares of 8% and 11% respectively.

Of the bigger chains, Tesco had the highest sales growth of 6%, nudging up its share to 27.8%, while sales at Sainsbury’s grew by 4.4%, taking its share to 15.3%.

Under-pressure rival Asda remained the worst performer, with sales down 3.8% and its share falling to 12.3% from 13.3% a year earlier.