Europe's largest retailer Carrefour SA has reported higher sales for second quarter and first half due to strong performance in its core home market as well as in Asian countries and Latin America, offsetting poor consumer demand and tough competition in the rest of Europe.
The Paris-based retailer reported sales growth of 8.7 percent to €41.8 billion for the first half. Same-store sales rose 2.1 percent.
For the second quarter ended June 30, sales rose 9.1 percent to €21.38 billion from €19.59 billion in the same period last year.
The company anticipated faster sales growth in 2006 than in 2005.
Carrefour SA is Europe's leading retailer and ranks second worldwide, with more than 11,000 hypermarkets, supermarkets, hard discount and convenience stores in 30 countries and 430,000 employees.