Sales up at Booths supermarket

Preston-based Booths supermarket, which has branches across the county, has reported a six per cent increase in turnover over its most recent trading year, up to £284m.

Despite pandemic-related difficulties, including the need to close its MediaCity site during lockdown, gross profit increased by £11.4m, from £24.7m to £35.8m.

The bumper numbers included an increase in sales over the Christmas period. Pre-orders driven by the Christmas Book increased by 66 per cent, with sales for the three weeks up to 2 January 2021 up 11 per cent.

Meanwhile, sales through its business to business channels grew by over 90 per cent, up from £5.8m up to £11.1m.

While the social distancing measures implemented by the government made trading more difficult, it did drive up demand for food to be prepared and consumed at home.

Booths also continued to invest throughout the year, completing a programme to upgrade its workforce management system, and beginning a renewal of its commercial fleet set to complete in 2022.

Edwin Booth, chairman and CEO, said: "2020/21 was an extraordinary year in retail grocery and we encountered dramatic shifts in buying patterns which put our logistics, supply and retail teams under extreme pressure. It is testament to the renewed culture throughout Booths that everyone was able to achieve high performance while 'living in the moment'. 

"Throughout the year our suppliers have been magnificent and we have done our best to support those who were adversely impacted by the hospitality sector being closed for extended periods."

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