19th Sep 2013 07:57
LONDON (Alliance News) - Booker Group PLC Thursday said that total sales, including cash-and-carry wholesaler Makro, were up 19% in the second quarter, and said plans to bring Booker and Makro together are on track.
The food wholesaler said that its Makro turnaround plan is progressing well. Unlike Booker, Makro also offers a range of non-food items.
Booker said total sales in the first half of the year, including Makro, increased by 17% from last year, and was up 19% in the 12 weeks to September 13.
The group said that it continued to improve choice, prices and services in the second quarter, and said that after a good first half of the year, it is confident in its full year outlook.
Like-for-like sales, excluding Makro, were up 3.5% in the second quarter, with non-tobacco like-for-likes up 6.9%. Booker said that in the first half of the year like-for-like sales, excluding Makro, rose 2.3%, with non tobacco like-for-likes up 5%.
Including tobacco sales, it said that like-for-like sales fell 2% in the second quarter, and 2.2% in the first half.
The group said that it held net cash of GBP123 million on September 13, compared with GBP70 million a year earlier, which includes GBP12 million from the sale and leaseback of two of its cash and carries.
It also said that it opened two more branches in India in the first half, and now has a total of six branches in the country.
Booker Group did not include any financial figures and is expected to releases its interim results on October 17.
Its shares were trading at 139.60 pence per share Thursday morning, up 4.7% or 6.30 pence.
By Rowena Harris-Doughty; [email protected]; @rharrisdoughty
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