Morrisons trounced its supermarket competitors to report a bumper Christmas, when like-for-like sales advanced 9.5 per cent in the six weeks to January 6.

Total sales in the same period increased 11.6 per cent, excluding fuel.

The grocer said initiatives in the second half of the year such as the launch of an ad campaign with a focus on fresh food, sharpened prices and promotional deals brought more customers into stores. It reported more than 4 million extra customer visits over the six-week period, maintained availability throughout and had record levels of trade across its 375-store estate.

The supermarket chain’s results are in stark contrast to its supermarket competitors. Tesco recorded a 3.1 per cent like-for-like rise and Sainsbury’s 3.7 per cent, both excluding fuel.

Morrisons chief executive Marc Bolland said: “I am delighted with our Christmas performance. We welcomed significantly more customers to our stores and they were well served with attractive offers and great fresh food. These strong results are further evidence that our rigorous focus on freshness, service and value is striking a chord with shoppers.”

The grocer said its full-year profit for 2007/08 is likely to be at the top end of expectations. However, it expects the market to remain competitive and is cautious about the outlook for consumer spending.

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