Waitrose has revealed that last week’s sunny Spring weather helped boost sales at its supermarket stores.
The upmarket grocer saw sales rise by 24.5 per cent year-on-year to £99.6 million in the week to April 10 as shoppers stocked up on barbecue products, picnic foods, fruit and ice-cream .
Retail director Tony Solomons said sales of Waitrose’s barbecue range of products soared 566 per cent week-on-week, while sales of children’s ice lollies during the week leapt 125 per cent from the same period last year.
Soft fruit also proved extremely popular, with sales of strawberries and raspberries rising 100 per cent and 90 per cent respectively year-on-year. The largest increase in sales, however, was seen sun-care products, which rocketed by more than 900 per cent.
“Even taking into account the favourable impact of the timing of Easter, a very strong performance,” Solomons commented.
Trading at parent company John Lewis increased 7.3 per cent to £52.3 million in the week to April 10, with the retailer benefiting from “the extra day of trade against Easter Sunday last year”.
