Web shopping firm Ocado has announced its strongest ever Christmas performance, nearly doubling the results from the previous year.

The company, which delivers products for department store John Lewis and supermarket chain Waitrose, reported 25 per cent sales growth for the four weeks to 3 January. During the week leading up to Christmas, sales increased by 97 per cent on the previous year.

The positive Christmas results will bring some cheer to the retailer after a grim period in 2008, when it reported trading losses of more than £7m.

John Lewis, previously a majority shareholder in Ocado, diluted its stake to 24.1 per cent, despite recently agreeing to keep supplying it with Waitrose food for the next five years at least.