Dutch supermarkets expect to reach record sales of some €754m in the days around this year’s Sinterklaas celebrations, according to sector lobby group CBL.

This is a rise of over 5% on last year and bodes well for the Christmas period later this month, the CBL said.

In particular, traditional Sinterklaas biscuits such as pepernoten and speculaas are selling well, as are chocolate letters in different flavours.

The CBL represents 4,300 supermarkets which serve some four million clients a day.