Upmarket grocer Waitrose has defied the squeeze on consumer spending to deliver an 11.1 per cent rise in first-quarter sales.

The supermarket, part of the employee-owned John Lewis Partnership, said most of its growth during the three months to the end of April came from existing stores, as only one new store opened during the period.

Its online grocery sales surged 50.1 per cent during the quarter.

For the first time more than five million customers visited its branches per week, the retailer said, and customer transactions were up 8.4 per cent.

Waitrose finance director Tom Athron said the chain was competing effectively with its bigger rivals Tesco and Sainsbury’s on pricing, while its extended brand price match helped it win new customers.

Mr Athron said: “In a challenging economic climate, these figures are testament to the efforts of our partners.”

Waitrose added that warm weather boosted sales in its most recent trading week to April 27, when they grew 8.4 per cent.

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