Waitrose, a chain of British supermarkets, has made its new Internet sales record, said the Retail Bulletin. In the week to 1 February, Waitrose.com received its largest-ever number of orders for a single week, with sales up more than 120% compared to the same week last year. Online trade benefited from the final week of the retailer’s offer of a free bottle of champagne for customers who made their first online order in January.
Orders were 36% higher than even Christmas week, following a successful advertising campaign across TV, press and branches. This season’s Superbowl, together with the opening fixtures of Rugby Union’s Six Nations Championship, helped sales of own label crisps and snacks to rise by more than 23%, while hand cooked crisps saw a 43% increase and popcorn sales surged by 76%. The arrival of the Chinese new year led woks to fly off the shelves with week-on-week sales growth of 45%. Ethnic food sales also increased with rice and noodles sales up by almost 10% and stir fry sales soaring by over 100%.
Waitrose marketing director, Rupert Thomas, said: “Our international business continues to see exciting growth with sales 28% up on last year and sales at our shops in Welcome Break motorway service stations increased by 20%. We will look to build on that with the opening of Michaelwood South in Gloucestershire this week. Our first week of trade at little Waitrose East Putney also exceeded all expectations”.
