Supermarket chain Morrisons has said it saw a shift in shoppers' behaviour in the run-up to Christmas as a result of Covid-19 restrictions.
The retailer said sales jumped over the key Christmas trading period as customers shopped early to secure their festive treats amid restrictions.
Traditional Christmas purchases also had a sales boost, the UK's fourth-largest supermarket said.
Champagne sales jumped 64%, while sales of whole salmon increased by 40%.
Overall sales rose by 9.3% in the three weeks to 3 January, compared with the same time last year.
Morrisons chief executive David Potts said: "The pandemic has had a severe effect on people and communities around Britain for nine months now but it has been especially hard at Christmas time.
"I'm very pleased with the way the Morrisons team has helped our customers across the nation enjoy their Christmas in the best way they could."
The supermarket also suggested that festive sales had been driven by the fact that rules around larger family gatherings changed in England, meaning customers had to buy for last-minute smaller festivities.
In the nine weeks to 3 January, like-for-like sales, stripping out the effect of new shops opening and fuel sales, were up 8.5% and in the six months to the same date they rose 8.1% compared with a year ago, boosted by strong online sales and that of its wholesale business.
'Indulging after a tough year'
Morrisons said it had also benefitted from out-of-home eating and drinking being restricted by strict Covid-19 regulations.
Supermarkets were classified as essential retailers in England's second national lockdown between 5 November and 2 December, while restaurants and cafes could only operate takeaway services.
According to new figures from market research firm Kantar, British people forked out £11.7bn in supermarkets throughout December in the sector's busiest month ever.
Supermarket trading was boosted by the £4bn that would normally have been spent on food and drink outside the home over the Christmas season, it said.
"While celebrations may have been more low key, there were also signs of consumers keeping merry and indulging after a tough year", said Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar.
Cheese sales, for example, increased by 17% and chilled deserts by 15%. Meanwhile, alcohol sales rose by £310m, with options to drink in pubs, bars and restaurants limited.
The firm also found that online grocery sales accounted for 12.6% of total spend in December, compared with 7.4% in 2019.
Online sales boost
Sophie Lund-Yates, equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said the trading update on Tuesday marked a "significant milestone" for supermarket chain Morrisons.
"Morrison's is an underdog in some ways, especially when looking at the online business, which is smaller than some rivals.
"The pandemic has given the group a chance to address this, and digital sales have more than tripled so far this quarter."
"The question now is if Morrison's can keep a firm grasp on that momentum, and push growth long and hard enough to give its competitors something to worry about", she added.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiLGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL2J1c2luZXNzLTU1NTQyNjMz0gEwaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmJjLmNvLnVrL25ld3MvYW1wL2J1c2luZXNzLTU1NTQyNjMz?oc=5
2021-01-05 09:11:00Z
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