Gross group sales at Ocado increased by 19.2% to £271.1m for the 12 weeks to 22 February this year. Gross retail sales were up by 15.2% to £252.0m.

According to the retailer’s latest figures, the number of average orders a week rose by 18.1% to 183,000, compared to 155,000 for the same period last year.

Chief executive officer Tim Steiner said: 'Our business continued to grow, against a backdrop of a retail market that remains challenging and competitive. We remain committed to improving the quality of the proposition to customers, which we believe will support further growth.”

'Notwithstanding the uncertainty that remains in the marketplace, we expect to continue growing slightly ahead of the online grocery market,' he added.