Morrisons has outshone its rivals by unveiling the strongest sales figures for the Christmas period.
Like-for-like sales, excluding fuel, at the supermarket rose by 6.5 per cent in the six weeks to 3 January, while total sales soared by 11.2 per cent, keeping the chain ahead of its main rivals in the seasonal race for the fourth year running.
Last week market leader Tesco reported same-store growth of 4.9 per cent for the festive period, while Sainsbury’s posted a 4.2 per cent rise on like-for-like festive sales. However, Asda has yet to announce its Christmas sales figures.
In a statement, Morrisons said new store space and a strong demand for its fresh, value and party food had helped it outperform the market.
It added that its 422 stores across the UK served a record number of customers over the festive season.
Morrisons chairman Sir Ian Gibson said: “Morrisons has had another strong Christmas . Once again our distinctive offer, eye-catching promotions and relentless focus on our core strengths of fresh food and great value combined to help customers have a great Christmas .”
“This has enabled Morrisons to finish the year strongly and although we remain cautious on the economic environment and consumer spending, we look forward to further progress in the coming year.”
Morrisons is currently searching for a new CEO following Marc Bolland’s move to Marks and Spencer .
Mr Gibson revealed that the search “is progressing well” and that an announcement on Mr Bolland’s successor is expected before the second half of the year.
