Co-op enjoys strong Christmas trading

In the three weeks ending January 5, total sales in Co-operative food stores, including VAT but excluding fuel, grew by 2.4 per cent on the corresponding period last year and were 2.2 per cent higher on a like for life basis.

The group’s convenience stores did particularly well, with like-for-like sales up 5.5 per cent over the same period.

In a statement, the Co-operative Group said: “These results follow a similarly positive performance in 2011, which means that, on a like-for-like basis, Christmas and New Year sales have grown by over five per cent in the past two years.

“The strong Christmas trading came on the back of improved underlying performance in the food business during the second half of 2012, and in particular within the final 13 weeks of the year, during which total food sale (including VAT, excluding fuel) were up 0.6 per cent year on year and up 0.3 per cent on a like-for-like basis.”

Peter Marks, the group chief executive, said: “These results represent a really encouraging and resilient performance in some of the most testing trading conditions for 40 years and build on a good result achieved over the same period last year.”