Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
Total sales excluding fuel for Waitrose were up 3.3% last week (to Saturday July 8) on the year-ago period.
The supermarket chain’s finance director Lorraine Woodhouse said warmer weather led to strong sales of ice cream which rose by 39%, quiche by 30% and halloumi by 48%.
Party food sales lifted by 48% and barbecue food climbed by 37.5% as people entertained outside.
The sunshine also sent sales of drinks soaring by 25%. Rosé wine had “a particularly sparkling week” with sales up by 58%. English wine was up by 54%, and sales of Pimm’s by 40%. Beer also performed strongly, with sales up by 20%, and many customers opted to sup speciality beer.
British cherry sales blossomed, up by 26%, boosted by the retailer’s latest TV advertising campaign (see separate story). Filmed on a Waitrose cherry farm in Herefordshire, the advert highlights how Waitrose is the only supermarket to ensure that all its British fresh fruit and vegetable growers are LEAF marque certified. This is a guarantee that the producer operates in an environmentally responsible way.
