Sales up at SainsburyÔÇÖs

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} J. Sainsbury plc, the UKÔÇÖs third-biggest supermarket chain, has announced an increase in sales in the first three months of the year.   In its fourth quarter trading statement for the 11 weeks to 21 March 2009, SainsburyÔÇÖs said total sales rose by 3.4 percent (6.8 percent excluding fuel), with like-for-like sales at stores open for at least a year rising 2.7 percent (6.2 percent excluding fuel).   SainsburyÔÇÖs records this comparison inclusive of VAT, so after adjusting for the decrease in the VAT rate, ÔÇ£like-for-like sales growth in the quarter, excluding fuel, was 7.0 percent,ÔÇØ said chief executive Justin King.   ÔÇ£Our work on providing universal customer appeal through continued investment in price, quality and a broader product range has been well received and is evident in the sales announced today,ÔÇØ he continued. ÔÇ£We are serving more customers with more items as both transactions and basket size have increased year-on-year.   With customers seeking to economise on grocery bills, SainsburyÔÇÖs said that sales of its "basics" range of 550 cheaper products were up more than 60 percent.   The company also said that non-food sales continued to grow strongly and gain market share, with Tu clothing now available in 290 stores. The online home shopping service also saw sales growth of over 20 percent in the quarter.   SainsburyÔÇÖs announced an agreement with the Co-operative Group on 4 March 2009, to purchase 24 of its stores, mainly in the west of England, Wales and Scotland where SainsburyÔÇÖs is less well represented, bringing a SainsburyÔÇÖs store within a ten minute drive of an extra 500,000 customers.   Sales at UK supermarkets have held up pretty well despite the recession. Morrisons reported a 7 percent increase in annual pre-tax profits to ┬ú655 million and a rise of 7.9 percent in like-for-like sales excluding petrol on the year.   Waitrose said this month that sales for the first five weeks of 2009 increased by 5.2 percent to break the ┬ú4 billion barrier for the first time. Waitrose launched 11 shops last year and plans to open a further 22 this year.   SainsburyÔÇÖs said it would announce its preliminary results for the full year ending 21 March 2009 on 13 May 2009.   *┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á *┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á *