Booths displays '˜Northern grit' in face of flooding

The company’s overall sales were up +5.9 per cent with like-for-like sales down -1.4 per cent from December 13 to January 2. The figures exclude the Keswick store in Cumbria, which closed on December 5 because of flooding.

A Booths spokesman said: “Sales held up well against the backdrop of a challenging retail market and unprecedented widespread flooding across Booths’ Northern heartland, which affected stores, staff and sales. The Booths store in Keswick was badly hit by flooding in early December, but the team opened a pop-up essentials shop before Christmas to support the local community.”

Booths, which employs 265 staff at its stores in Ripon, Ilkley and Settle, said it saw a sharp rise in Christmas home delivery orders, which rose 54 per cent nationwide. Overall orders, including click and collect in store orders, rose by 11 per cent.

Chris Dee, the CEO, said: “There’s much to be proud of at Booths this Christmas..our people have excelled. Our teams worked with typical Northern grit to cope with the twin demands of a challenging retail climate and devastating weather conditions.”