Waitrose has emerged the Christmas winner among the big retailers, according to latest data.
The premium supermarket beat its four main rivals over the festive season with a 14 per cent sales hike in the four weeks to December 26, market research company Nielsen said.
The result comes at the end of a strong year for Waitrose, which broadened its appeal by introducing a cut-price Essentials range to attract cost-conscious shoppers.
Waitrose left market leader Tesco trailing behind in fifth place, with a 7.4 per cent sales rise in the same four weeks.
Nielsen said Morrisons was a close second behind Waitrose, with 11.8 per cent growth, followed by Asda with an 8.6 per cent hike while Sainsbury's was ranked fourth.
The festive period was strong across the entire supermarket sector, with the figures revealing 6.7 per cent growth on last year’s figures, rising to eight per cent in the last fortnight.
The data also gave evidence of an improved underlying demand, with sales growth by value over the full 12 weeks to Boxing Day at 4.8 per cent.
Mike Watkins, senior manager of retailer services at Nielsen, told the Press Association: "We had a slow start to the season and from the figures it looks like consumers held back until the final fortnight, where we saw some exceptional growths."
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