| Item | % rise from Q1 2014 |
|---|---|
| Group sales | 12 |
| Premier Inn sales | 14.3 |
| Premier Inn London sales | 21.6 |
| Premier Inn regional sales | 12.3 |
| Costa Coffee sales | 15.9 |
Whitbread has appointed Alison Brittain as the group’s chief executive designate, replacing Andy Harrison, who is retiring.
Brittain joins from Lloyds Bank, where she managed its retail division.
The announcement was made in the company’s first-quarter results, which show a rise in group sales for the 13 weeks to 28 May 2015 of 12.5% compared with the same period last year.
Premier Inn’s sales grew by 14.3% and like-for-like sales rose by 6.3%. The number of rooms available increased by 8.2%.
The growth of Premier Inn was driven by the division’s London facilities, which turned in total sales growth of 21.6%. But the regions also saw an improvement in sales, up by 12.3%.
The division opened 333 rooms opened in the quarter and said it planned to open around 5,500 rooms in the UK over the course of the year.
Costa’s total sales rose by 15.9%, to £375.2m, compared with the same period last year.
Whitbread strengthened its financial position by issuing a £450m, 3.375% bond due in 2025.
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% and good like-for-like sales growth of 4.3%, driven by continued momentum in Premier Inn and Costa.
