Premier Inn and Costa Coffee continue to drive sales for Whitbread
Premier Inn was the strongest performing sector for Whitbread during its first quarter with like-for-like sales up by 6.3%, according to the group's interim trading statement.
Overall, the company, which will see Alison Brittain, the head of Lloyds Banking Group's retail division, replace Andy Harrison as chief executive in January 2016, recorded total like-for-like sales of 4.3%.
Costa Coffee's performance was also strong, with like-for-like sales of 5%. However, the restaurant division recorded a virtually flat performance with the like-for-like growth figure at 0.1%.
Occupancy at Premier Inn remained at 80.6%, while revenue per available room grew by 6.1%.
Harrison said: "Whitbread has begun the new financial year well, in line with expectations, with total sales growth for the first quarter of 12.5%."
Premier Inn opened 333 bedrooms in the UK during the first quarter, and is on target to launch a total of 5,500 rooms during the full year, while Costa Coffee plans to open a total of 250 stores worldwide.
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