Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Sales (excluding fuel) rose by 4.2% for Waitrose last week (to November 12), helped by a 25% off wine promotion.
The supermarket chain’s retail director Ben Stimson added that last week’s cold weather snap has started to make customers feel festive.
He explained: “Our recently launched Christmas advert features the epic journey of a robin, with the theme of welcoming guests over Christmas. And it was clear last week that shoppers have already begun preparing to host friends and family over the Christmas season, with party food up 26% and Christmas cakes up 65%.
Roast joints from the meat counters were up 76%, prepared vegetables were up 9% and soup was up 16%.
Shoppers have also been warding off colds and flu, with citrus fruit up 24% and medicines up 9%.
Waitrose has introduced a festive range of robin-themed products to tie in with this year’s Christmas advert. As part of the launch, the retailer has worked with children’s book author Michael Morpurgo to create the ‘Coming Home’ book (£5), which tells the story of the robin featured in the advert.
There is a range of housewares inspired by the advert which includes china mugs – the Embossed Robin Mug (£7), Bone China Robin Photographic Mug (£6) and Bone China Robin Mug (£4.50) – plus the Waitrose Robin and Holly Stacker Mug (£3) and Waitrose Robin and Snowman Stacker Mug (£3); a Robin Tea Towel (£4) and Waitrose Cooking Christmas Apron (£8); Robin Cookie Cutter (£2); Christmas Scene Cake Tin (£8); Waitrose Home Red Robin Napkins (£2 for 20) and Waitrose Home Robin and Holly Napkins (£2 for 20).
