Grocery sales at Waitrose have overtaken rival Marks and Spencer for the first time ever, according to Waitrose’s managing director Mark Price.
Speaking to Retail Week magazine, Price said internal company figures based on data from TNS Worldpanel and Nielsen showed that the supermarkets current market share by sales is 4.2 per cent, ahead of M&S’s 3.7 per cent.
He explained that developments such as the launch of its ‘Essentials’ value range, expansion in its convenience store format and its home delivery service have helped it achieve one of its key internal targets.
“For some it is an inconvenient truth that Waitrose is growing as it doesn’t tie in with the times we are living in, but we have constantly been innovating and that has kept us ahead,” he added.
Last week Waitrose reported a 12.1 per cent rise in food sales for the week ending 11 July compared to the same period last year.
Commenting on the recent sales growth, Tony Solomons, Waitrose’s retail director, said: “The cooler weather prompted a return to indoor dining and home cooking .”
“Many ‘comfort foods’ made their way back on to customers’ shopping lists, with 12 per cent more soup sold than the same week last year and a surge in sales of ready meals,” he added.
