Booths celebrates record Christmas week sales
Lancashire-based family-owned independent supermarket chain, Booths, enjoyed a record Christmas week of trading, it announced today.
Like-for-like retail sales increased 8.7% in the key three-week trading period ending January 6, and Booths reported a record seven-day Christmas Week sales level which was up 8.3% on last year.
The specific Christmas weeks were underpinned by solid sales growth of 6.3% in the 12 weeks before Christmas. The year in year growth is credited to increased volume through higher customer numbers in addition to a rise in overall basket spend.
Sales were helped by the much-anticipated Booths Christmas Book, a hardbacked tome of festive food and drink, colleague recipes and entertaining tips.
Managing director, Nigel Murray, said: “Everyone at Booths, alongside our supplier partners, has contributed to delivering a great Christmas for our customers and this is reflected in a set of strong trading results.
“We strive to deliver the very best food and drink for our customers, and we can be extremely proud of what we achieved this year. The quality of our offer was the best yet and as ever was served up with the warmest of Northern welcomes.”
Booths customers enjoyed a very traditional British Christmas, with sales of turkey and poultry up by 10.6%.
Christmas Bakery lines, an area where Booths combined NPD showstoppers with traditional festive favourites, were up by 21%. Sales of traditional Booths mince pies saw sales rise by 16%.
Sales of smoked salmon increased by 34% and Booths Pigs in Blanket sales rose by 9.7%.
English wines continue to find favour with customers, with sales of E.H. Booth & Co. English Sparkling Wine up 46%, sales of E.H. Booth & Co Prosecco increased by 20%.
It wasn’t just food for the big day that found favour, but customers enjoyed shopping and eating at Booths in the run up to Christmas.
Sales of the Festive Christmas Baguette, a hot turkey, stuffing and cranberry feast of a sandwich, rose by 28%. Overall café sales at Booths rose 37%, supported by its upmarket Café 1847 concept which launched in two stores last year.
