Waitrose managing director Mark Price has revealed that the food hall at John Lewis’s Oxford Street department store is delivering sales of about £400,000 a week.

His revelation came as parent company John Lewis Partnership posted profit and sales uplifts at both its chains for the year to January 26.

Price said the first food hall, which opened in October, is delivering the same sales as an average Waitrose.

He added that there were a number of potential John Lewis sites, including the 24 stores that the partnership plans to add to its portfolio by 2017, that could accommodate a food hall.

In addition to the eight stores it plans to open this year, Waitrose has acquired 10 sites for next year and plans to open 11 in 2010. Price reaffirmed his interest in “a chunk” of Somerfield’s stores that would accelerate its store opening programme.

Waitrose delivered a 22 per cent increase in operating profit to£212.1 million, on sales up 6.8 per cent to just under£4 billion for the year to January 26.

Department store chain John Lewis posted operating profit up 12 per cent to£189.9 million, on sales up 5.6 per cent to£2.8 billion.

However, John Lewis Partnership chairman Charlie Mayfied warned that consumer confidence is at its lowest for 13 years. Like-for-like sales of homewares have fallen 4 per cent since the start of its financial year.

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