Waitrose is putting product choice back into the market where others are stripping it out, the boss of the supermarket said this week.

Referring to the high-profile drive undertaken by rival Sainsbury's to streamline

its ranges over the past 18 months, managing director Steven Esom told The Grocer: "If choice and variety are stripped out, then we add them back into the market. Customers are looking for variety and if a supermarket doesn't provide it then they will find one that does."

His comments came as the supermarket revealed record results for the six months to 29 July with total sales up 11% to just short of £1.8bn, while like-for-like food sales growth accelerated by 5% on last year to 5.3%.

However, profits were hit by hikes in rent, rates, utility costs and higher spend on pre-opening and re-organisation costs, with like-for-like pre-tax profits up 1%

to £108m.

"There has been a dampening effect as a result of the extra space, which is yet to mature," he added.

Esom said Waitrose had managed to keep up the rate of growth through organic openings and the acquisition of new space from Somerfield during the past year, with new space currently accounting for 8%

of the total space.

A further six shops would open in the second half of this financial year, taking its estate to 183 - ten more than it anticipated. Next year, Esom plans to add 4-5% new space, taking Waitrose's estate to about 190.

Waitrose had been winning customers over the past year, but not from any one retailer in particular, added Esom. "Our demographics are broader than you think. The customers we take are those interested in food and cooking. We don't have the same emphasis on areas such as pricing and category management that other supermarkets do."

Meanwhile, Waitrose began rolling out the next phase of its traffic-light front-of-pack scheme this week with ready-to-cook lines taking the label. They will also carry its new five-a-day symbols, showing how many portions are supplied in each product using a points value. ?

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