Published at 08:15, Tuesday, 08 January 2013

SUPERMARKET chain Booths says it has had a record Christmas with a 3.48 per cent increase in like for like sales for the key month of December.

The family-owned and managed grocer now has seven stores in Cumbria with the newly opened Milnthorpe joining stores in Kendal, Keswick, Kirkby Lonsdale, Penrith, Ulverston and Windermere.

When the new Milnthorpe store is included in the figures there was a total sales growth of 5.61% compared with 2011.

The figures are in sharp contrast to the grim figures released by Morrisons yesterday.

Booths believes customers had saved for the Christmas holiday period and had traded-up to buy luxury products.

Chief operating officer, Chris Dee said: “Our pre-orders were up by 58 per cent with customers ordering in advance for the day.

"Booths' customers rely on us to stock outstanding and good value food and drink. We refused to enter discounting battles over the Christmas period preferring to focus on stocking the exceptional produce our customers come to expect from Booths.

“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.”

Top selling products included roast beef joints, up 39 per cent, speciality fish up 14 per cent, premium craft bakery mince pies were up 24 per cent and stollen sales were up 56 per cent.

Further indications of a trade upwards are evidenced by a 39 per cent increase in smoked salmon sales, a 23 per cent rise in sales of vintage champagne and a 27 per cent increase on magnums of standard champagne.

Published by http://www.in-cumbria.com