Londis pre-Christmas sales have exceeded £1m for the first time. The sales accounted for Christmas orders placed by Londis resellers with Musgrave GB for confectionery and grocery ranges and included orders received for the Halloween period.

Paul Courtney, Londis sales director, said: “This incredible achievement has taken place while the economic climate has been at its most volatile for years. It underlines the confidence our retail partners have in the Londis brand and the way in which they are supported through ongoing promotions and offers.”

Part of this significant growth is attributed to Musgrave GB staging a Christmas promotional trade show for its retail sales managers (RSMs) in June. Four of the main manufacturers – Cadbury, United Biscuits, Mars, and Nestle – made presentations to showcase their Christmas ranges to the RSMs.

The six-week pre-Christmas order period began on 27 June 2011 and ended with a record breaking 979 orders having been placed, worth more than £1m.

The inclusion of Halloween sales has made a significant difference, in that Halloween is now classified as the third biggest retail event after Christmas and Easter (outselling both Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day).

In the UK, Halloween total sales (all categories) in 2010 were worth around £300m and had recorded a year-on-year growth of 28%. Confectionary alone was worth £24.6m with a 13% year-on-year growth.

Consumer buying patterns mean that although around 10% of sales are completed early during September, around 40% seasonal confectionery is sold in the final three weeks of the season, claims Londis.