Booker prises open customers' wallets

Fresh produce demand at Booker helped the cash and carry operator deliver the sort of like-for-like sales growth in the final months of 2011 that would be the envy of the retailers it supplies.Booker's like-for-like (LFL) sales rose by 6.7% in the 16 weeks to December 30th from the corresponding period of 2010, with customer numbers and average spend per customer both up year-on-year.Non-tobacco LFL sales rose by 5.8% and tobacco LFL sales by 7.6%. Total sales in the quarter were up 7.0% on the same quarter of 2010, with fruit and vegetable sales up 17%. The outlook for profits and net cash for the year remains in line with expectations.Encouraged by its success, the group is stepping up its expansion in the food service market with the launch of "Chef Direct", a service run from what Booker calls a state-of-the-art distribution centre in Didcot, Oxfordshire, due to become operational in June of this year."Chef Direct will combine Booker's scale and logistics capabilities with Ritter-Courivaud's expertise in catering and speciality foods," the company statement said. Expansion in India continues apace, with Booker set to open its second and third branches in Mumbai in early 2012."Our plans to focus, drive and broaden the group are on track and we are pleased to be developing Chef Direct to serve major food service customers," said Charles Wilson, Booker's chief executive. jh