Waitrose has described Christmas trees and related horticultural items as constituting one of “the strongest areas” of its Christmas period trading, according to reports in the UK press.
Waitrose’s hold on the UK’s horticultural market has grown steadily since 2013, when it began trading in the sector. Its sales of Christmas trees, garlands and blooms have all improved on a like-for-like basis, with horticulture as a whole up 5.2 per cent for the retailer.
Commenting on this upward trend, a Waitrose spokesperson said, "Horticulture is one of the strongest areas of our business and is seeing some of the most significant growth figures (sales are up 13.2 per cent year to date). Our customer insight shows that after cooking, gardening is our customers' favourite hobby – and we have plans to build on current success by growing our offer again next year."
© 2015 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Peter Donnelly. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
