13th Dec 2006 07:00
Whitbread PLC13 December 2006 13th December 2006 Whitbread PLC Trading Statement Today, Whitbread PLC announces that total sales for Continuing Whitbread* forthe first 39 weeks of its financial year to 30 November 2006 have grown by 10.1%and like for like sales have grown by 3.9%. Sales for 39 weeks to 30 November 2006 % change vs prior year Like-for-Like Total Premier Travel Inn 7.7 16.3Pub Restaurants 0.0 2.1David Lloyd Leisure 2.6 5.8Costa 5.9 22.1 Continuing Whitbread* at week 39 3.9 10.1 Continuing Whitbread* at week 24 2.9 9.1 Alan Parker, Chief Executive, Whitbread PLC comments: "This has been a good quarter's trading across the Group with all fourbusinesses generating a positive increase in sales. Premier Travel Inn's growth has strengthened with total sales up 16.3%. In thefirst 39 weeks we have opened 1,640 Premier Travel Inn rooms, which includes 14new build hotels and 9 extensions to existing hotels. We remain on target toopen 2,500 rooms in this financial year. Pub Restaurants have improved with a total sales increase of 2.1% and positiverecent like for like sales growth. This results from our strategy of focusing onjoint pub restaurant and Premier Travel Inn sites, new menus offering improvedquality and better value and the continued refurbishment of the estate. Thisyear 58 restaurants have been remodelled. David Lloyd Leisure has delivered a 5.8% increase in sales on a stable like forlike membership base. New initiatives introduced this year have had a positiveimpact on retail sales per member. Costa has seen total sales up 22.1%. 137 new stores have been opened (116 net ofclosures), including 56 equity and 81 franchise stores, 46 of which wereoverseas. This week Costa celebrated the opening of its 500th UK store inOxford. Internationally it has opened its first store in Eastern Europe and willopen in China in Shanghai by Christmas. These results demonstrate that we continue to make improvements in operatingperformance. We are driving rapid expansion in our Premier Travel Inn and Costabusinesses and the ongoing turnaround at David Lloyd Leisure is encouraging. Iam particularly pleased by the first signs of improvement in Pub Restaurants." -ends- * Sales of continuing Whitbread comprise Premier Travel Inn, the retained PubRestaurant estate, David Lloyd Leisure and Costa, but exclude the 239 disposedPub Restaurant sites, the Pizza Hut joint Venture, TGI Fridays which is listedas an asset held for sale, Supply Chain sales to third parties, and other salesrelated to Marriott. Conference call for analysts and investorsAlan Parker and Christopher Rogers will be available for a conference call at 8.30am today (UK time). To participate, dial +44 (0)20 7138 0836 A recording of the conference call will be available for seven days. To listen, dial +44 (0)20 7806 1970 and enter the passcode 4185869# For more information please contact: Investor Relations:Christopher Rogers, Group Finance Director +44 (0) 1582 889 422 Media:Anna Glover, Whitbread PLC +44 (0) 1582 844 439Andrew Grant, Tulchan +44 (0) 20 7353 4200 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
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