Upmarket UK retailer Waitrose has posted a like-for-like sales increase of 2.7% over the six weeks to 31 December, according to a trading update from parent John Lewis Partnership.
Waitrose’s gross sales were up 4.8% to £914.9 million for the period, compared to the same period last year.
At Waitrose, sales were driven largely by increased demand for the premium private label range Waitrose 1, which saw a 21.4% uplift in sales.
‘Hospitality was another key area of growth with sales up 4.9% as customers took advantage of the growing casual dining and snacking opportunities in our shops, while little Waitrose convenience shops also saw strong like for like growth,’ the retailer said.
Elsewhere, Waitrose also benefited from an increase in online sales, with John Lewis Click and Collect sales that were picked up in Waitrose stores up 18.5% on the same period last year.
Overall, John Lewis posted a 2.7% increase in like-for-like sales for the period.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
