// Selfridges’ sales grew 5% over Christmas, boosted by CX initiatives & a surge in vegan demand
// Toys saw particularly strong sales growth of 31% in the 24-day festive trading period
// Vegan foods saw a 96% surge in sales of vegan confectionery and a sold-out vegan hamper
Selfridges enjoyed strong growth during the peak Christmas trading period, boosted by various customer experience initiatives and surging demand for toys and vegan products.
The luxury department store said plant-based alternatives were in high demand, as sales of its vegan confectionery almost doubled in the 24-day run-up to Christmas, and its new vegan hamper sold out.
These contributed to a five per cent uplift in overall sales across Selfridges.
READ MORE:
- Selfridges partners with Highsnobiety to launch “first of its kind” pop-up store The Co.Lab
- Selfridges partners with Instagram to launch exclusive UK pop-up
Toys were another strong category, with sales up 31 per cent over the festive period, partly due to the opening of a new 22,000sq ft toy shop in its London flagship in the last months of 2019.
Meanwhile, men’s fashion sales increased 11 per cent, and the beauty category rose by a 10th, boosted by the opening of the refurbished and bigger accessories hall in Manchester.
Selfridges said its strong performance to its strong customer experience proposition was “at the heart” of the business over Christmas, such as Santa offering piano lessons and having breakfast with children, or Mrs Claus reading stories.
There were also dance and choral performances, and the London flagship opened a new in-store cinema in December.
In Birmingham, the store opened a walk-in snow globe, while the Manchester store held a cocktail session for adults.
“We are pleased to have delivered another strong performance over the Christmas period,” managing director Simon Forster said.
“We always aim to offer a great selection of exclusive products and extraordinary customer experiences, and this year has been no exception.
“2020 marks the start of a vital new decade in the race to secure a sustainable future.
“As a business with sustainability at its heart, Selfridges will be gearing up towards a major new campaign that will set the direction for the next 10 years of our journey.”
Click here to sign up to Retail Gazette‘s free daily email newsletter
