Supermarket chain Waitrose performed strongly in the third quarter of the year in spite of the significant headwinds facing the retail sector, new figures have revealed.
In its latest trade summary, the firm revealed that sales during the week ending on November 4 were up by 8.2 per cent year on year, while third-quarter sales rose by 10.2 per cent. Waitrose retail director Tony Solomons observed that the company is well placed ahead of the all-important festive season.
“Looking ahead to the final quarter, we’re gearing up for Christmas with a fantastic range of products and a strong marketing campaign,” he said. “[This month] we unveiled our new Christmas TV advert which has received a phenomenal response from our customers.”
In the three months to October 30, Waitrose refurbished two of its supermarkets as well as opening a further five core outlets and two convenience stores. It also launched a customer loyalty and price campaign in response to rival Tesco’s high-profile Big Price Drop scheme.
Last week, Morrisons announced that its third-quarter sales excluding fuel were up by 4.6 per cent in the third quarter.
