Northern supermarket giant Booths has shattered previous records with its strongest ever single sales day, marking an historic milestone amid a record-breaking Christmas sales period.
The upmarket, family-owned chain – often dubbed the “Waitrose of the North” – reported a 9.3% surge in like-for-like retail sales over the crucial three-week trading period ending 4 January, surpassing last year's 8.3% increase. This robust performance was bolstered by Christmas week sales, which reached unprecedented heights, rising 6.7% on the previous year. Notably, the chain announced that on 23 December it recorded its largest single-day sales ever.
The Lancashire-based group provided further compelling figures: like-for-like sales at its butchers counters soared by 16% in December, while fruit and veg sales climbed by more than 10%. In addition, Christmas cheese sales spiked by 29%, and single malt whiskey purchases from UK distilleries rose over 6%.
Booths continues to showcase its artisanal prowess by producing many Christmas specialties – including pigs in blankets – at its in-house Preston manufacturing sites. Remarkably, pigs in blankets sales increased by 14% compared to the previous Christmas season.
Further expanding its appeal, Booths is developing its Café 1847 concept, now available in selected stores. This new initiative recently opened in the Knutsford store in September 2024.
In a striking achievement, Booths surpassed £300 million in sales last month for the first time ever, while also cutting its pre-tax losses from £4 million to £1.5 million.
Managing Director Nigel Murray commented: “Booths really does love Christmas, and this is reflected in our strong performance again this year. Customers trust us to provide the best quality and store experiences and we are delighted to deliver. Our teams work year-round to develop delicious new products for our customers across Booths Country.”
He added: “We strive to deliver the very best food and drink for our customers, and I pay credit to every colleague and supplier who, with their warm Northern welcome, share an infectious love of great food and drink. I would also like to thank our customers for their continued trust in Booths, they are an integral part of our Booths Country family.”
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