RETAILER Booths recorded strong Christmas sales with a 3.3% sales increase over the key three-week trading period to January 5, with Christmas profits growing ahead of sales, 4.5% up on 2017.

Chairman and CEO Edwin Booth said: “Booths performed very well in a highly competitive market over Christmas. We focussed on offering the very best traditional Christmas food and drink with flair and purpose. Customers trust Booths for quality, service, knowledge and our commitment to find the very best suppliers. I’m delighted with our Christmas performance and the positive momentum that we are achieving throughout the business.”

The click and collect service of the chain, which has a store in Ilkley, delivered an impressive 15% growth and 25% uplift in sales over the New Year period. Traditional Christmas favourites showed the strongest performance with record sales for turkey and trimmings recording an increase of 10%. Booths smoked salmon sales were up nearly 25% and Booths gammon up 25%.

Booths multiple award winning range of wines performed particularly well. The biggest selling wine by value was Booths Prosecco, with sales of Malbec wines up 50%. Booths Port sales increased by 24%, a fitting celebration of Booths’ 30 year partnership with supplier Quinta de la Rosa.

Craft Beers and Spirits still remain on trend with Booths selling 65,000 bottles of gin and ½ million bottles of ale and lager. Sales of low alcohol wine increased by 35%, supporting evidence that moderation is a trend that is gaining momentum in the market.

Booths delivered excellent growth through their business to business channels, where sales more than doubled year on year over the festive period, through a combination of established and new customers.

“I’m very proud of the dedication shown by our colleagues and suppliers this Christmas. Great credit goes to the teams who worked tirelessly throughout the year to deliver the very best service, range and value for our Booths customers, both in our Northern heartland and beyond,” said Mr Booth.