Sales up almost 12 per cent at Lancashire supermarket company

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Lancashire supermarket chain Booths said it had seen a bumper Christmas with a rise in sales as people changed habits in the coronavirus crisis.

Booths, the family-owned independent Northern food and drink retailer tracked a strong sales increase of 11.8 per cent over the key three-week trading period.

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Sales over seven days in the run up to Christmas Day were up by 16.6 per cent it said.

Chief Operating Officer Nigel Murray said: “It’s been a Christmas like no other at Booths, but we were determined to deliver it safely and with appropriate cheer.

Booths staff were busy this ChristmasBooths staff were busy this Christmas
Booths staff were busy this Christmas

"Customer trust in Booths has grown steadily throughout the pandemic and these results reflect on our commitment to quality and service and prioritising the safety of our colleagues and customers. Our customers feel reassured shopping at Booths, and that is a great credit to our teams.”

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As a consequence of the pandemic, Booths cafes were closed throughout the Christmas period and Booths also closed stores on Boxing Day to give teams additional time with their families. Excluding these factors, like for like sales were 15.7 per cent up against the same three week trading period in 2019.

Orders from the annual Booths Christmas Book, were said to be up 66 per cent by value.

Unsurprisingly, sales of smaller turkeys saw growth of 23 per cent, with sales of turkey crowns up 38 per cent, as people cancelled their traditional huge family gatherings in the face of rising coronavirus case numbers and restrictions on travel.

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Edwin BoothEdwin Booth
Edwin Booth

Sales of frozen turkeys were up by 50 per cent. Sales of pigs in blankets increased by 100 per cent, with the Festive Swirl line increasing by 22 per cent. Sales of sprouts were up by 14 per cent.

Booths said licenced sales were particularly strong, with sales of English wine, both still and sparkling up by 72 per cent. Homemade cocktails were on the “home bar” menu with sales of liqueurs up 39 per cent and while gin sales remained buoyant, rum became the new spirit in town with sales up 64 per cent.

Business to business and wholesale sales rose by over 40 per cent boosted by the rise in home delivery options for the Booths brand with the continued partnership with Amazon in addition to the new partnership with Electric Forecourt operator, Gridserve.

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Chairman and CEO Edwin Booth said, “I cannot fully express how proud I am of my colleagues at Booths. The drive and determination they show not only at Christmas, but every day is remarkable. In the most challenging of conditions the true spirit of Booths has revealed itself in the cheerful and practical optimism of our teams.”

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