Waitrose has posted strong sales both in-store and online for last month.

The grocer, which has 271 shops across the country, said like-for-like sales in December increased 3.8 per cent on last year, after it recorded its highest-ever sales for a single week in the run-up to Christmas.

Waitrose has stores in Saltash, Okehampton, Sidmouth and Torquay. It opened a branch in Exeter in October.

Turkey orders were up 66 per cent on last year, while customers bought 53 per cent more Christmas puddings and 2.7 million glasses of wine were sold in the week leading up to the big day, Waitrose said.

Waitrose, which is part of the John Lewis Partnership, said sales through its website rose 49 per cent in the seven days before Christmas, while the number of orders placed online was up 68 per cent.

The supermarket said online sales were driven by a strong performance in wine and flowers, with wine sales more than doubling and flower sales increasing by 79 per cent compared with last year.

The figures come ahead of Christmas trading updates from three of the country’s biggest supermarkets – Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons – next week.

Waitrose managing director Mark Price said: “We've had a very strong Christmas.”