Tesco’s Christmas relied on international sales
It may not have been a very merry Christmas for British retailers Tesco were it not for the success of its international stores.
The world’s no. 3 retailer made progress in the six weeks to January 8 with group sales increasing by 7.6pc.
However, the majority of this growth came from sources outside of Ireland and the UK.
Total international sales over the period grew at 14.2pc, with strong performances in Asia, Europe and the United States.
Chief executive Terry Leahy said, “The group has continued to make good progress, helped by strong growth across our international businesses, which delivered over half of the group’s growth.”
The supermarket giant said its UK performance was “hindered” during the important Christmas trading period by the “disruptive effects of the severe winter weather conditions”.
The non-food sectors were particularly affected by the bad weather, said Tesco. However, growth was seen in toys, books and gaming.
Tesco Mobile now has 2.5 million customers.