Waitrose has seen interim like-for-like sales rise 5% as the supermarket group focused on its fresh food offer and well-maintained availability.

Sales for the six months to July 26 rose 11% to £1.3bn boosted by new branches opened in the second half of last year and three this year at Belgravia, Mill Hill and Portishead. It added that sales in week seven were 12% ahead of last year.

Waitrose said the strong results came from improved systems, cost controls and reduced stock-holding plus the lowest level of wastage for five years.

Waitrose said £8m was its share of the losses incurred at Ocado, the home shopping service set up with the backing of the John Lewis Partnership using Waitrose products. This was down 18% on last year.

The group said a further 13 branches wee due a ‘face-lift’ in the current half-year as part of its £134m refurbishment programme.

Chairman Sir Stuart Hampson said: “We expect to continue to perform well in a sector dominated by speculation about consolidation.”

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