Waitrose weekly sales figures for last week (to 21 August 2010)
Published on Friday 27 August 2010
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Managing Director: Mark Price
Retail Director: Tony Solomons
Week 3
| 2010-11 |
£87.37m |
| 2009-10 |
£81.06m |
| 2008-09 |
£73.88m |
Percentage increase
| 3rd week to 21 August 2009-10 |
7.8 |
| 3rd week to 21August 2008-09 |
18.3 |
| 3 weeks to 21 August 2009-10 |
9.4 |
| 3 weeks to 21 August 2009-10 |
20.8 |
Shoppers stock up on winter warmers
Last week, total sales at Waitrose were up by more than 7 per cent. This was despite a tough comparison due to better weather prompting a particularly strong week of trading last year.
Sales last week were driven by the cooler weather encouraging shoppers to adopt eating patterns that were more reminiscent of the autumn and winter months, by stocking up on comfort foods. Although it's still August, our customers were cooking up hot pies – up 28 per cent on last year – fresh soups – up 27 per cent – ready meals – up 21 per cent – and frozen chips and potatoes, up 14.5 per cent.
Store cupboards were also being stocked in preparation for autumn with essential Waitrose canned and packet soups up by 33 and 46 per cent respectively, and hot drinks up by 19 per cent.
Instead of hosting late summer barbecues, shoppers have been cooking up roast dinners to entertain their friends and family, with roasting beef up 14 per cent on last year, and lamb and pork joints up 17 and 17.5 per cent respectively.
Wintry vegetables were the flavour of the week with sales of cabbages up 22 per cent on last year, leeks up 21 per cent, broccoli up 17 per cent and carrots up 14 per cent.
And other meat accompaniments also performed very well with sales of fresh stocks and gravy up 41.5 per cent, meat sauces up 32 per cent, frozen Yorkshire puddings up 26 per cent and stuffing up 20 per cent.
Hot sponges proved to be very popular as an after-dinner treat last week, with sales up by 42 per cent on last year.
And the 'Delia effect' is continuing to get our shoppers cooking in the kitchen. Despite the cooler weather, last week's recipe – Delia's roast vegetable couscous with harissa-style dressing – went down a storm with our shoppers. The recommended ingredients flew off the shelves including aubergines up 74 per cent, courgettes up 143 per cent, herb salad up 261 per cent and firm goat's cheese by a fantastic 537 per cent.
Mark Williamson
Commercial Director, Waitrose
Sales figures for operations groups
The below figures are based on percentage increase on 2009-10.
| Operations groups | Week 3 | Up to week 3 |
|---|
| Total sales (excl Petrol) |
8.1 |
9.7 |
|---|
| Total sales (incl Petrol) |
7.8 |
9.4 |
|---|
| Group A |
17.3 |
17.8 |
|---|
| Group B |
1.7 |
3.0 |
|---|
| Group C |
10.0 |
11.7 |
|---|
| Group D |
8.5 |
11.1 |
|---|
| Group E |
4.0 |
4.8 |
|---|
| Group F |
6.2 |
7.5 |
|---|
| Group G |
3.9 |
5.6 |
|---|
| Group H |
3.3 |
4.5 |
|---|
| Group I |
4.3 |
5.2 |
|---|
| Group J |
18.7 |
18.8 |
|---|
Sales figures for buying
The below figures are based on percentage increase on 2009-10.
| Category Summary | Week 3 | Up to week 3 |
|---|
| Ambient |
7.8 |
11.2 |
|---|
| Chilled, Fruit, Vegetables & Horticulture |
8.3 |
11.5 |
|---|
| Meat, Fish, Frozen & Dairy |
6.3 |
8.5 |
|---|
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