Asda posts fifth consecutive quarter of sales growth

Asda has reported another rise in quarterly sales, posting a 0.4% increase in like-for-like sales in the three months to the end of June.

However, the Leeds-based group said growth in the period was held back by the timing of Easter.

The figures represent the fifth consecutive quarter of positive sales growth, but lower than the 3.4% recorded in the first three months of the year, which Asda attributed to the early timing of Easter, which boosted first quarter figures but not benefiting the second.

Removing the impact of Easter, like-for-like sales in the quarter grew by 2.6%, the grocer said.

Asda president and CEO, Roger Burnley, said: “Our Q2 performance shows continued momentum for 2018 and this is the first quarter we have outperformed the market since 2014.

“We remain focused on delivering our strategic priorities and investing in the areas that matter most to our customers – innovation in our own brand, lowering prices and in continuously improving our shopping experience both in store and online.

“We welcomed an additional 285,000customers to our stores over the quarter and grew online sales by 13.2% – and I am grateful to our colleagues for all their hard work.

“Whilst we’ll never be complacent I am pleased that we continue to work hard to do the right things for our customers, and are focused on providing the best possible shopping experience as we head into the second half of the year.”