Fortnum and Mason heralds ‘resurgence of shopping in real life’ as it sells 700k packets of posh biscuits
Fortnum & Mason sold over 700k packets of posh biscuits over Christmas, as shoppers traded up over the festive period.
The luxury department store said sales were up 17 per cent in the month leading up to Christmas eve, and welcomed over six million new customers.
Demand for premium biscuits and £100 advent calendars were a driving force behind the sales lift.
Shoppers went mad for the firm’s extravagant advent calendars which were filled with alcohol or made musical sounds when opened.
The 300 year old business said that annual turnover was 12 per cent to £209m, and pre-tax profits shot up 23 per cent to £7.5m, as it cheered an end to pandemic shopping habits.
However, it said its store in Hong Kong saw slower recovery this year due to the extended impact of Covid 19 pandemic on the region, where restrictions were only relaxed in April.
Fortnum & Mason has four sites in London, including a spot at London’s Heathrow airport.
Tom Athron, chief of brand said it was a year defined by a “resurgence in the appeal of shopping in real life”.
He added: “During the coming year, we will also be investing further in the operations side of the business. As many retailers experienced over Christmas, the significant spike of late seasonal demand tested our infrastructure to the limit.”
“As we look ahead to 2024, I’ve never been prouder of our achievements or more excited by our future plans to continue to bring more moments of joy into peoples’ lives, which has always been the mission of Fortnum & Mason.”