Waitrose Reports Record Christmas Trade

Mon, 04 Jan 2010
 
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Waitrose has revealed it experienced it’s "most successful Christmas " ever after like-for-like sales rose 13.5 per cent year-on-year in the week to December 26.

The upmarket grocery retailer said total sales increased by 20.5 per cent during the week, from £111.7m in the same period in 2008 to £134.6m, while icy weather also helped boost online sales by nearly 50 per cent.

Sales of organic turkey across its 222 UK stores jumped 53 per cent over Christmas, while sales of the "three-bird roast" (turkey, goose and duck) rocketed by 87 per cent on the previous year, according to the supermarket .

It also revealed there was strong demand for cooking ingredients such as icing, pastry, dried fruits and seasonal spices .

Waitrose said: "Christmas came particularly late as many customers postponed their festive shop until Christmas Eve, following the impact of heavy snow in many parts of the country."

"Warming food and drink, including cocoa, soup, hot pies and Indian ready meals all sold well."

Online grocer Ocado, which has a deal with Waitrose to deliver the supermarket’s goods until 2013, has also reported record sales over the busy festive period.

A spokesman for the delivery firm said like-for-like sales for the week ending December 26 soared to £8.9m, up 49 per cent on the same period in 2008, despite deliveries being disrupted by snowfall in many parts of the country.

He added that more than 3.5 million items were delivered to some 41,918 customers.

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