Upmarket supermarket chain Waitrose has today announced record orders via its click & collect channel, with sales soaring to £2.2 million, driven by the launch of the John Lewis Clearance sale on Thursday.
Total sales for the week to June 29th 2012 rose 1.8 per cent and the clearance sale is expected to further boost sales as it continues.
While this number is positive, it is considerably lower than the 4.5 per cent boost reported last week and Rob Collins, Retail Director at the grocer, explained that comparatives were “challenging” due to a 25 per cent off wine promotion this week last year.
Earlier this week, John Lewis told Retail Gazette that reports claiming that it is to extend its click & collect service to local corner shops were untrue, though conceded that expansion in some form is on the horizon.
Helen Dickinson, Head of Communications at the department store, said: Yes, click & collect will be extended and we are forging partnerships with companies other than John Lewis and Waitrose.
“I don‘t know where this corner shop thing came from as it is unclear at present what will happen, though we are looking to expand.”
These record figures then have highlighted the immense popularity of the service across both the grocery and department store arms of the Partnership.
Customers shopping in store also helped increase sales and the Euro 2012 Championships saw sales of beer and malt whisky rise eight per cent and 41 per cent respectively.
Meanwhile, the beginning of the Wimbledon Championships underpinned a 32 per cent increase in sales of Pimm‘s.
