Booker reports growth despite challenging times

Tesco-owned wholesale group Booker delivered like-for-like sales growth of 7.5 per cent, with further growth reported across both retail and catering, despite a challenging trading environment.

Retail sales grew by 14.2 per cent excluding tobacco, driven by a further 143 net new retail partners and its continued focus on price, choice, and service. Growth was particularly strong in its entry level ranges at +20 per cent year-on-year, with 40,000 of its retailer customers now having purchased Jack’s branded products.

Tobacco like-for-like sales declined by 5.9 per cent overall, driven by a general market contraction.

Catering sales were also strong, increasing by 9.1 per cent in the half, with customers responding well to the strength of its offer, including a significant step forward in availability year-on-year.

“We further supported customers by adapting our ranges to offer great menu choice at fantastic prices, and by locking the price on 650 essential products over the peak summer trading period,” Tesco states in a report released today (4).

“Our ‘On-Trade’ club, which launched in May, now offers almost 6,000 licensed customers access to discounted prices on 95 of our most popular products across drinks, snacks and essential food products, supporting them to offset the cost headwinds they currently face. We have a further 45,000 customers registered with our ‘Fast Food’ and ‘Just Eat’ clubs, accessing similar, exclusive discounts.

“In July, we launched ‘Chef Central’, which is a new concept, offering multi-site national and regional customers the ability to offer standardised menus through a defined product range, with great value products delivered directly to their doors. We will utilise our existing Booker and Best Food Logistics infrastructure to expand into this new customer segment, delivering true incremental growth.”