Booths celebrates best ever Christmas trading period
Upmarket grocer Booths has reported its best ever Christmas trading as like-for-like sales rose by 6% in the three weeks to 4 January.
The family owned business, which operates stores across Cheshire, Cumbria, Lancashire and Yorkshire, attributed the increase to a number of factors including customers planning ahead, their desire to select the best produce, and their use of the retailer’s reserve and collect service.
Chairman Edwin Booth said: “We launched our Christmas marketing campaign early this year with the delivery of our Christmas Book, which inspired customers to plan ahead and order early. The 180 page book illustrated our Christmas lines beautifully and resulted in a pre-order sales increase of 22% with customers ordering in advance for Christmas Day.”
The Christmas Book launch followed the introduction of the Booths Card last summer which Booths said was reaping dividends with 60% of pre-orders coming from card holders. In addition, online orders have increased by a third on last year.
Never Miss a Retail Update!The retailer said that sales of premium turkeys and geese had been robust over the Christmas period while alternative meats such as venison, Herdwick mutton and three bird roasts had also been popular.
Booth added: “People come to Booths for the best, they trust our quality and our commitment to find the very best suppliers that are producing exceptional food. We made it easier to order online and collect in advance of the Christmas Day.
“We’ve been mindful that budgets have been tight and kept prices affordable without compromising premium quality. We have a canny Northern consumer base they keep us on our toes in terms of service, price and quality. They expect the best from Booths, and this Christmas we delivered just that.”
