// 15% sales growth across Fortnum & Mason during Christmas trading period
// Bricks-and-mortar like-for-like sales grow 13%
// Online sales surges 22% and now represents 39% of the total mix
// Meanwhile, in-store experiences boosts hospitality sales by 15% & private dining by 20%
Fortnum & Mason has praised its “bricks-and-clicks” business model for allowing it to post a strong sales performance during its recent Christmas trading period.
For the five weeks to December 29, the luxury retailer saw overall sales increase by 15 per cent year-on-year.
On a like-for-like basis among its bricks-and-mortar estate, sales surged 13 per cent, while online sales jumped 22 per cent and represented 39 per cent of the total mix, up three percentage points on last year.
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Fortnum & Mason attributed its positive results to a strong performance across both its retail and hospitality divisions, as the latter increases its importance to the growth of the business after it booked 20 per cent rise in private dining and 15 per cent uptick in restaurants.
The heritage retailer highlighted that 84 per cent of total sales at its iconic Piccadilly flagship store were to domestic customers.
Meanwhile, Fortnum & Mason’s Classic Christmas hamper retained its status as one of the UK’s best-selling festive hampers, with sales growing 24 per cent year-on-year.
Other Christmas bestsellers included biscuits, which increased 15 per cent, while mince pies climbed 13 per cent, puddings grew five per cent while hand carved salmon also performed strongly with a 27 per cent surge.
The retailer said champagne sales increased by almost 10 per cent and one in nine bottles of sparkling drink sold during Christmas was Fortnum & Mason’s non-alcoholic Sparkling Tea.
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