Housewares Business-to-business magazine for housewares retailers and their suppliers
A colder turn in the weather and a range of promotions saw sales of warming winter meal ingredients rise last week (to 21 November) driving sales growth of 2.5% excluding petrol for Waitrose.
Warming meals were high up on shopping lists, as sales of stuffing and Yorkshire puddings were up 13% and soup purchases rose by 6%.
Wines, beers and spirits also had a particularly strong week as customers stocked up ahead of Christmas. Highlights from the 10% off wines, beers and spirits promotion for myWaitrose customers included wines from the Loire up 90%, Spanish wines up 99% and Portuguese wines up 84%.
The supermarket chain added that the trend for sipping tequila ‘shows no signs of abating’, as sales increased by 20% compared with last year. The revival of vermouth is continuing, with sales up 9%, and malt whisky enjoyed sales growth of 5%.
Waitrose marketing director Rupert Thomas commented: “Shoppers are choosing to be creative with their Christmas presents this year, as ‘fill your own’ gift crates are proving to be the best-selling Christmas gift at Waitrose.”
He continued: “The first sushi bar in a UK supermarket opened last week at Waitrose Nine Elms, Battersea, and is already proving incredibly popular with customers.”
A Waitrose ‘create your own’ gift crate
