“Our general merchandise and clothing business is growing at nearly three times the rate of food. In February, we reached the milestone of £1bn annual sales from general merchandise, reflecting the investment we have made in the quality of our offer. Nearly 33 per cent of our customers are now within a 15 minute drive of a full non-food offer, up from 29 per cent this time last year. We saw our best ever January sale, with sales up 19 per cent year-on-year, and we have continued to see strong growth in clothing at nearly 20 per cent year-onyear, and home accessories nearly 25 per cent year-on-year.
“In the quarter, we added 163,000 square feet of new space, comprising three supermarkets and 19 convenience stores. Over the full year, we have added 14 supermarkets, eight extensions and 87 convenience stores, bringing our total gross new space to just over 1 million square feet, an increase of approximately 5 per cent, in line with our target. We also opened a new depot in Thameside, dedicated solely for our growing convenience business in London and the South East.
Sainsbury's announces fourth quarter Trading Statement for 10 weeks to 16 March 2013Strong sales, reflecting continued market outperformance-Total #
“We expect the challenging economic environment to continue through the coming year. By helping our customers to Live Well for Less through our ongoing commitment to great quality own-brand products, Brand Match, competitive pricing and targeted promotions via Nectar and coupon-at-till, we are well positioned to continue to outperform the market.”
Sainsbury's