Booths’ reward for avoiding price war
The company, which has stores in Ilkley, Ripon and Settle, recorded “modest” sales growth of 1.2 per cent to £273.6m last year.
However, sales this year have continued to improve, with Booths recording a sales growth of 4.2 per cent in the last 12 weeks.
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Hide AdChairman Edwin Booth said that its trading since the year-end had begun to improve after Booths, “opted out of the price war which has engulfed the grocery sector”.
He said: “Consumers were buying as much as they could on deals and were increasingly attracted to offers on single lines as opposed to multi-buys.
“Rather than reduce more prices, Booths started to develop initiatives centred on its core expertise – high quality food and drink. These have already started to drive improved profitability in the present financial year.”
He added: “We have made a conscious decision to develop increased authority in the retailing of food and drink and we are going to express this with strong and attractive branding.”
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Hide AdThe retailer opened two new-format stores in Penrith, Cumbria, and the BBC’s MediaCityUK complex in Salford in the year.
Booths is carrying out a £2m rebrand of all 28 of its stores.
The grocer has launched its website and re-introduced a ‘click-and-collect’ service which was piloted last Christmas, with a view to making the service permanent. Booths has also developed a dedicated website to liaise with suppliers.
Mr Booth added: “Booths continue to focus on efficiencies.”