Lincolnshire Co-op had a very, merry Christmas

Lincolnshire Co-op has reported positive Christmas trading, with food store sales rising 7.2% in the period from 14 December to 4 January.

The retailer said its customers bucked the national trend and stocked up on traditional Christmas treats, with Christmas pudding sales up 35%, according to Retail News.

There was also growth for another classic festive sweet, with sales of mince pies up by 36% and a total of nearly three quarters of a million individual mince pies sold.

All of the society’s food store stocks the Love Local range, featuring goods from Lincolnshire Co-op’s trading area, and sales increased by 9.5%. Local products – from suppliers including Lymn Bank Farm, Cote Hill and Lincolnshire Poacher – contributed to overall cheese sales increasing by 22%.

In addition, consumers bought more locally-sourced meat from suppliers – including Grasmere Farm, Mountain’s Boston Sausage and Uncle Henry’s – and the Society’s bakery Gadsby’s, based in Southwell, saw sales increase by 11%. More than 156,486 individual Gadsby’s mince pies contributed to the total sold, and treats like amaretto and rum truffles proved popular.

Chief retail officer, Mark Finn, said: “We’re delighted to buck the national trend, both with the popularity of the traditional Christmas pud and with our positive sales performance.

“It’s a great achievement in a tough market. It shows that our customers appreciate our colleagues and the service they provide and the quality of our products, especially those sourced locally. The dividend bonus also means that our members start the festive period with an extra dose of cheer.”