Local, fairtrade and organic ranges helped Waitrose record half-year like-for-like sales growth of 3.2%, according to its parent company John Lewis Partnership.
Underlying profit for the six months to 28 July rose 18.7% to £21.3m on sales up 7.1% to £1.92bn.
Sales in local and regional foods rose 80% during the period, while fairtrade sales were up 72%. Waitrose's share of the organic market increased to almost 18%.
Waitrose said it was planning to increase the number of trained specialist staff by 200 to the 1,000 mark and would invest £1.5m on a major training project to improve customer experience.
“The deeply rooted relationships between Waitrose and our supplier base means we are well positioned to build on our strong track record for product innovation,” said Charlie Mayfield, chairman of the John Lewis Partnership. “We are continuing to build our local and regional range, as well as investing in product quality across thousands of lines.”
Underlying profit for the six months to 28 July rose 18.7% to £21.3m on sales up 7.1% to £1.92bn.
Sales in local and regional foods rose 80% during the period, while fairtrade sales were up 72%. Waitrose's share of the organic market increased to almost 18%.
Waitrose said it was planning to increase the number of trained specialist staff by 200 to the 1,000 mark and would invest £1.5m on a major training project to improve customer experience.
“The deeply rooted relationships between Waitrose and our supplier base means we are well positioned to build on our strong track record for product innovation,” said Charlie Mayfield, chairman of the John Lewis Partnership. “We are continuing to build our local and regional range, as well as investing in product quality across thousands of lines.”
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