Waitrose sales up 1.2% last week
Waitrose increased its sales by 1.2% year-on-year last week as gift buying for Mother’s Day boosted trade.
Sales of gift cards surged by 57% while sales of Mother’s Day gifts such as candles and vases saw a 41% uplift.
Helen Hyde, personnel director at Waitrose, said: “While the drag effect of food price deflation continues, a sunny first week of March helped grow provisional sales, excluding petrol, up 1.2% compared with last year.
“The price of a three pack of mixed peppers illustrates the impact of deflation well: last year a pack was priced at £2. Although sales of the product remain strong, the same pack now costs just £1.”
In the second week of Fairtrade Fortnight, demand for bananas was strong, up 5.5% compared to last year. Meanwhile, sales of Fairtrade-certified chocolate such as Green & Blacks were up 230%.
Hyde added: “We are working to ensure all our own-label chocolate bars are Fairtrade by the end of this year.”
