Lancashire supermarket Booths reports sales up over crucial Christmas period

Lancashire retailer Booths has said it has had a cracker of a Christmas.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

While many large supermarkets had a turkey when it came to festive sales, with Sainsubury’s, Morrisons and John Lewis all saying sales were down, Booths said it had seem a 3.5 per cent rise over the key three week trading period to January 5.

That beat the rise from 2018's festivities of 3.3 per cent.

It said that its business to business sales were very strong, up by over 50 per cent adding 0.8 per cent growth of overall Christmas sales with sales to established and new customers all performing strongly.

Edwin BoothEdwin Booth
Edwin Booth
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It added that its Amazon sales continued to grow as Booths expanded the ranges available on the site. Booths sold three times the number of mince pies on Amazon in 2019 compared with the previous year and its Christmas tree brownies were a Black Friday best seller.

Chairman and chief executive, Edwin Booth, CBE said: “Booths performed very well this Christmas. Customers have confidence in our commitment to deliver excellent service and exceptional food and drink.

“At a time when customers shop at several retailers for Christmas, including discounters, they trust Booths for the centrepiece and all the trimmings.”

Retail like for like sales increased by 2.7 per cent driven by orders from the Booths Christmas Book increasing by 6.8 per cent. The firm said its Christmas Book, had become an institution, a hardback 180-page book showcasing the Christmas offer and featuring recipes written by Booths staff.

Booths' Christmas book from 2019Booths' Christmas book from 2019
Booths' Christmas book from 2019
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Pre orders were so successful that Booths has extended this service giving customers the chance to order special products all year round.

Edwin Booth added: “Booths is a heritage retailer and our “Christmas book,” published in 1937 includes a quote which still resonates some 80 years on. Goodwill, that immeasurable bond between buyer and seller which is born of good business is our greatest reward and encouragement.”

“I should particularly like to thank our loyal customers for their continued support and pay credit to our colleagues who work tirelessly throughout the year.”

New Year sales were also up seven per cent on last year.

Booths said it sold one million Bell’s of Lazonby mince pies, turkey sales were up 13 per cent, turkey crowns rising 30 per cent and Booths brand party food up by 21 per cent.

Its English Wine sales were up by 36 per cent and its Champagne sales returned to growth. Booths own brand wines (E.H. Booth & Co. Ltd.) were up by more than four per cent.