Ocado enjoyed a cracker of a Christmas witnessing a growth in orders, basket size and sales, its quarterly trading statement revealed today.

The online grocer reaped the rewards of the upward trend in internet shopping with gross sales for the six weeks to 6 January 2013 up 14.2% to £91.6m.

Customer orders over the same period jumped 11.4% with strong basket growth, while gross sales in the seven trading days to Christmas were up 17.1% to £21.8m, Ocado said. Sales of both Ocado own label products and non-food items also increased by 70% during this time.

The retailer’s Q4 2012 trading statement also showed that gross sales were up by 12.4% to £237.1m, compared to £210.9m for the same final quarter period in 2011.

Average orders per week rose 11.4% to 125,971 from 113,115 in 2011, while the average order size rose by 1% to £110.70.

Meanwhile, overall gross sales for the year – to November 2012 – rose by 11.4% to £716.2m, compared to £642.8m in 2011.

Ocado CEO Tim Steiner said Christmas had amplified the fact that shopping online for groceries was of increasing importance for customers.

“We are very pleased to have helped record numbers of customers enjoy Christmas without the stresses and strains of visiting a physical supermarket,” Steiner said.

“In 2013, we will substantially increase our capacity with the opening of our second fulfilment centre, and so we hope to make it possible for many more customers to escape the crowded aisles, checkouts and car parks.”

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