Booths hailed “a set of strong trading results” as demand for Christmas staples rocketed and basket spend increased.
The upmarket grocer saw like-for-like sales increase 8.7% in the three weeks to 6 January and record sales in the seven days leading up to Christmas, up 8.3% on 2022, The Grocer reported.
Booths said this was driven by a rise in customer numbers and an increase in the average basket size.
Among its most popular products in the quarter were a range of festive staples, most notably turkey and poultry, which saw sales up 10.6%, as well as pigs in blankets, which jumped 9.7%, mince pies up 16%, and smoked salmon soaring 34%.
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Sales of the retailer’s festive hot turkey, stuffing and cranberry baguette increased 28%, while sales of prosecco were up 20%.
Booths managing director Nigel Murray said: “Everyone at Booths, alongside our supplier partners, has contributed to delivering a great Christmas for our customers and this is reflected in a set of strong trading results.
“We strive to deliver the very best food and drink for our customers, and we can be extremely proud of what we achieved this year. The quality of our offer was the best yet and as ever was served up with the warmest of northern welcomes.”
It comes amid changes in Booths’ stores as it began axing self-service checkouts in November, in an aim to bolster its reputation for customer service and premium store experience.
In return, the high-end grocer is planning to increase the number of employee-manned checkouts and pay points across its network, as part of its ongoing store renovation programme.
