Wedding boosts Waitrose sales

Waitrose reported a royal wedding boost last week as sales climbed 23.1 per cent. On 28 April, the day before the wedding, the supermarket saw its strongest sales on a Thursday outside the Christmas and new year period.

Waitrose's managing director, Mark Price, said: "The celebratory mood that swept the nation drove another week of strong sales, with the mid-week days showing particularly impressive uplifts as people got ready for royal wedding parties and the long weekend."

Sales for the week ending 30 April were up by 34.5 per cent on two years ago.