Sales have risen 25 per cent for one franchise retail chain.

Fresh chicken store Lenard’s has reported a considerable rise over the Christmas period in like for like turkey and festive products sales, driven by strong consumer demand for fresh, value-add and convenience products.

Twenty four stores increased their sales by more than 50 per cent.

Lenard’s also achieved impressive growth in online sales, ending Christmas trading week 97 per cent up on 2015, after revamping and simplifying its online ordering system.

CEO Chris Caldwell said he was encouraged by the results, which marked a year of continuous growth for the company.

So how did the business achieve this?

“Last year, we embarked on an exciting new chapter in Lenard’s’ 30 year journey. We invested significantly in store refurbishments, marketing and product innovation,” Caldwell said.

This included a simplified sizing range of whole turkeys, ready-to-cook turkey products and stuffing flavours free from ingredients containing gluten.

“We are pleased to see our commitment to delivering high quality, flavoursome products to suit every Christmas gathering and budget, was positively received by consumers,” he said.