Ocado van

Ocado has announced a 12 per cent increase in sales for the fourth quarter and a significant rise in customer numbers.

The online supermarket reported revenue of £390.7 million for the 13 weeks to 2 December, which was a substantial increase on the same period last year. Average orders per week were up 13.1 per cent at 320,000, however the average order slipped one per cent to £104.91.

Chief executive Tim Steiner said: “Our unrelenting focus on delivering consistent high levels of service and value to our customers in theUKhas produced another quarter of satisfying growth. The new capacity that we have brought on stream in Andover and Erith has enabled us to again report double-digit growth in new customer acquisition. Both facilities are performing well and Erith continues to ramp up in line with our expectations.

“Although in many respects 2018 has been a transformative year for Ocado, the story has only just begun.We look forward to the coming year and continuing to turn our substantial opportunities into sustainable value for all our stakeholders.'