Grocery sales for December showed a total uplift of 9.5% and an increase of 3.8% on a like-for-like basis (excluding new space). Compared with the same period in 2009, grocery sales grew by 19.1% and like-for-like sales were up by 8.8%.
The supermarket also enjoyed record-breaking sales in the week before Christmas, achieving its highest ever sales for a single week.
Waitrose had its strongest online Christmas yet. Sales through Waitrose.com rose 49% (and orders grew 68%) in the seven days to Christmas. Online wine and flower sales also rose strongly, with wine sales more than doubling and flower sales increasing by 79% when compared with last year.
Customers bought 53% more Christmas puddings than last year, with premium puds being the most popular.
This year’s must-have was again Heston Blumenthal’s Hidden Orange Christmas Pudding, as well as the chef’s new mini version with a hidden clementine.
The Waitrose Remy Martin Christmas pudding was a success too, with sales up 20%. Heston’s new specialties – the Black Forest Buche and Popping Candy Tart – flew off the shelves as customers chose desserts with a twist for their tables.
Total mince pie sales were up by more than a third, with Heston’s Puff Pastry Mince Pies leading the way. By Christmas Eve, Waitrose had sold more than 2.4 million of them.
Source: Waitrose
If you enjoyed this article, you may also like these stories:
© FoodBev Media Ltd 2024