Upmarket supermarket chain Waitrose saw total sales jump 6.1 per cent last week as Andy Murray won his semi – final at Wimbledon, according to results released today.
Strawberries and cream was enjoyed as an accompaniment to the games as 11 million strawberries were sold while sales of the dessert topping rose 6.8 per cent on last year.
In the week ending July 7th 2012, whisky saw a 12 per cent sales boost as spectators raised a glass to Murray‘s sporting hopes ahead of Sunday‘s final.
Other summer events such as the Hampton Court Flower show, where the grocer won this year‘s first gold medal for showcasing the best fare of summer fruit & vegetables, inspired plant sales to shoot up 11.5 per cent.
Despite the summer-appropriate celebrations, the appetites of shoppers failed to match a seasonal palette, according to Waitrose Finance Director Tom Athron.
“Shoppers continue to turn to food more commonly associated with our winter months – there was a 7.8 per cent uplift in poultry sales and a strong performance from pre-packed beef and lamb,” he explained.
“It wasn‘t just roast dinners, though, that provided home comforts as canned soups sales stirred up a 26.4 per cent increase.
“Ready meals also had a great week as people elected for a night in rather than endure the rain.”
On Tuesday, The Commitment Economy released a report on behalf of TNS which noted that Waitrose could benefit from a £7.1 billion share opportunity by converting ‘shallow shoppers‘ wanting more quality produce.
However, the food retailer continues to eye expansion and Athron highlighted recent successes.
“It‘s been an impressive start at our new Little Waitrose shop in Muswell Hill, which opened on 3 July, as sales were strongly ahead of budget.
“The first Waitrose store in Abu Dhabi, managed by our partners, Fine Fare Food Market LLC, also had a strong opening week.”
