12/01/2004

Sainsbury's claim Q3 'encouraging' but sales growth weak

Sainsbury's has posted "encouraging" third quarter sales today, but pointed to "the scale of change affecting stores" and the adoption of an automated distribution system for having a negative impact on results early on.

Sainsbury’s Supermarkets saw third quarter like-for-like sales rise by only 0.1%, but highlighted its ongoing 'Business Transformation Programme' which the company believes can achieve cost savings of £710 million by March 2004. That programme is not due for completion until the summer.

Group Chief Executive Peter Davis said: “As we said at our Interims, the sheer volume of change is affecting our stores’ performance. However, like-for-like sales of 2.0 percent over the Christmas and New Year period (four weeks ending 3 January 2004), when stores were free of disruption, were an encouraging improvement in sales performance and a sound base on which to build during our next financial year."

Customer satisfaction levels were reported to be high and Sainsbury's sales, for the first time, exceeded £4.4 million in the seven days prior to Christmas. In the same period, 43 stores took over £2 million, up from 34 stores last year.

Mr Davis added that the Board was "confident that this is the right strategy for the long term growth of the business".

(SP)

Related Northern Ireland Business News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

29 May 2002
Sainsbury's reveal a change in profit fortunes
UK supermarket group, Sainsbury's has said its recovery plan is working after revealing a change in its fortunes following two years of falling profits. In the 12 months to March, pre-tax profits, before one-off items were up 14% at £627 million.
17 November 2004
Dixons and Sainsbury's interims reveal lower sales
High street and shopping mall retail chain Dixons Group, the UK's largest consumer electronics and equipment retailer, has warned that sales and profits have waned in the last quarter. The group reported that revenue take at UK stores had slowed slightly.
18 May 2005
Sainsbury’s reports huge fall in profits
UK supermarket group Sainsbury’s has reported a massive fall in profits, but the company says that sales are improving. The firm reported pre-tax profits for the year to March of £15 million compared to £610 million the year before. However, while like-for-like sales fell by 0.
16 November 2005
Sainsbury's announce small rise in profits
Sainsbury's has reported a small rise in half-year profits to post an £118m profit, from £117m in the same period in 2004. Sainbury's Chairman Philip Hampton said that he was pleased with the progress made in the first half of the year.
18 March 2004
High street sales flat as retail sector slows
The latest monthly figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) have revealed that retail sales figures showed no change in the volume of total sales between January and February. The flat High Street sales figures follows a period of strong growth - 1.2% between December and January. Though sales in February were 6.