Last updated at 09:42, Tuesday, 15 January 2013

Supermarket chain Booths achieved record sales over Christmas as customers spent on quality despite the recession.

Sales of vintage Champagne, smoked salmon and premium beef led the way as total sales rose 5.61 per cent, and like for-like sales by 3.48 per cent, compared with the same period in 2011.

The upmarket regional chain opened a new store in Milnthorpe in November, its seventh outlet in Cumbria. It says sales were “robust” at all 29 of its stores and puts the increase down to customers planning ahead and trading up carefully.

Chief operating officer Chris Dee said: “There was a trend for beef roasts this year as beef sales rose by 39 per cent and our speciality fish sales saw a rise of 14 per cent. Our Christmas lines of premium mince pies were up 24 per cent and stollen was up 56 per cent.”

Further indications of a trade upwards at Booths are supported by a 39 per cent increase in smoked-salmon sales, a 23 per cent rise in sales of vintage Champagne and a 27 per cent increase on magnums of fizz.

Booths boasts the largest range of vintage ales in any UK supermarket and sales of these were up 87 per cent.

Mr Dee added: “We refused to enter discounting battles over Christmas preferring to focus on stocking the exceptional produce our customers expect.”

First published at 09:40, Tuesday, 15 January 2013
Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk