Ahold Delhaize has posted a 3.3% increase in like-for-like sales in the Netherlands the fourth quarter of its financial year, with its Belgian operation reporting a 3.0% like-for-like rise.
The group’s biggest operation by region, the US, posted a 2.7% increase in like-for-like sales in the quarter, while Central and Southeastern Europe posted a 2.0% gain.
Overall net sales for the group were €16.55 billion for the quarter, up 3.0% at constant exchange rates.
Across full-year 2018, meanwhile, the business posted €62.89 billion worth of sales, which was up 2.5% at constant exchange rates.
Online sales grew impressively in the fourth quarter, it said, with a 26.4% gain (at constant rates) to more than a billion euro (€1.11 billion). Full-year online sales were €3.51 billion.
Regional Performance
On its Netherlands performance, the retailer said that, ‘Albert Heijn grew comparable sales in both supermarkets and online, albeit reporting a slightly lower market share for the full year 2018.
‘Bol.com reported 32.3% growth in net consumer online sales in the fourth quarter, resulting in €2.1 billion net consumer online sales for the full year 2018.’
In Belgium, an ongoing strategic plan to improve the operational performance of its Delhaize stores helped boost sales, which were also helped by a positive calendar impact.
In Central and Southeastern Europe, meanwhile, the Czech Republic posted a ‘very strong sales performance with successful promotions’, while in Greece, ‘comparable sales growth remained under pressure but gradually improved’, the group said.
Finally in the US, its Food Lion business continued to ‘benefit from the roll-out of the "Easy, Fresh and Affordable" program, now in 70% of its stores’, while the business also saw a positive weather impact.
Ahold Delhaize expects full year free cash flow to be more than €2 billion, ‘supported by further improvements in net working capital’.
© 2019 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
