Waitrose is celebrating its first year of operating in Scotland, where sales are on a par with the busiest stores in London and the South East.

Trading at the retailer’s two Edinburgh outlets, its only stores in Scotland, is 40 per cent ahead of targets, the firm has revealed. More than 2.25 million customers have passed through the stores over the last year, and the shops’ success has been driven by strident sales of organic fruit and vegetables.

Tony Solomons, director of customer development at Waitrose, said the high-vbalue goods appealed to the Edinburgh clientele.

He told The Scotsman: “We’ve had an excellent first year in Scotland and our customers clearly have an appetite for healthy foods, including organic fruit and vegetables, where we are trading significantly above the UK average.”

The business has plans to extend services for Edinburgh shoppers, with the launch of internet shopping and home delivery service Waitrose Deliver in July this year.

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