Tag: Sales

  • Tiffany sales reported drops

    Tiffany sales reported drops

    US jewellery retailer Tiffany & Co has reported a 1 per cent drop in worldwide net sales and 2 per cent drop in comparable sales for the two months to December 31. While Tiffany sales grew strongly in China over the holiday period, softening in other markets that are more dependent on foreign tourist spending led total net sales across Asia Pacific to fall 3 per cent from the prior corresponding period to US$226 million. Comparable sales in the region fell 4 per cent.

    “With continued strong sales growth in mainland China (by a double-digit percentage), solid results in Japan and healthy growth in e-commerce sales, overall holiday sales results came in short of our expectations which had called for modest year-over-year growth,” Tiffany CEO Alessandro Bogliolo said.

    “We attribute the difference partly to lower sales to foreign (primarily Chinese) tourists globally, and to softening demand attributed to local customers in the Americas and Europe, which we believe may have been influenced more than expected by external events, uncertainties and market volatilities.”

    Total sales across the Americas declined 1 per cent to US$514 million, while Europe dropped 4 per cent to US$132 million.

    Japan, however, saw positive growth over the period of 4 per cent – increasing to US$150 million, attributed to higher spending by local customers.

    Based on these results, the business now expects worldwide net sales for fiscal 2018 will increase by 6 to 7 per cent compared to the prior year, as opposed to the high-single digits previously expected.

    “Now the focus is to grow to new heights,” Bogliolo said. “To this purpose, we will continue to pursue the six key strategic priorities we introduced earlier in 2018 … which will require our ongoing effort and commitment for years to come.

    “We acknowledge that external pressures, difficult year-over-year sales comparisons and annualised internal spending are expected to have some negative effects on fiscal 2019 results, mostly in the first half of the year, but we believe Tiffany is on a solid path for improved sales, margins, earnings and cash flow generation over the long term.”

  • Vans, The North Face boost parents sales

    Vans, The North Face boost parents sales

    VF Brands has posted strong third-quarter results, with balanced growth across its entire portfolio. The US-listed apparel company, which owns and operates Vans, The North Face, Timberland, Wrangler and Lee, among others, says sales grew 8 per cent in the third quarter, to US$3.9 billion. Its share price soared 12.39 per cent after the announcement on Friday (US time) to $82.47.

    Vans sales soared 25 per cent and The North Face’s, by 14 per cent.

    “VF’s third-quarter results were fuelled by strong growth in our largest brands and balanced growth across the core dimensions of our portfolio,” said VF Brands president, chairman and CEO Steve Rendle.

    Revenue from VF’s ‘active’ segment, which includes brands such as Vans and JanSport, increased 16 per cent, while revenue from its ‘outdoor’ segment, which includes brands such as The North Face and Timberland, increased 11 per cent.

    VF reported $592 million in operating income, 22 per cent up on the prior year. Net income for the period was $463 million, a 613 per cent increase over the $90 million loss posted in the same period last year.

    “Based on the strength of our third-quarter performance and the growth trajectory we see for the remainder of fiscal 2019, we are again increasing our full year outlook,” Rendle said.

    The business expects revenue from its ‘work’ segment, which includes brands such as Dickies, is expected to increase 39 per cent, while revenue from its ‘active’ segment is expected to increase 16 per cent and revenue from its ‘outdoor’ segment is expected to grow 8 per cent.

    VF expects revenue from its ‘jeans’ segment, which includes brands such as Wrangler and Lee, to decline 3 per cent, while direct-to-consumer revenue is expected to increase 13 per cent, and digital revenue is set to increase by more than 30 per cent.

  • Shilla Duty Free recruits Asia’s top social media influencers to pitch K-beauty

    Shilla Duty Free recruits Asia’s top social media influencers to pitch K-beauty

    South Korean Hotel Shilla has recruited five social media influencers across Asian countries to hype K-beauty products through Shilla Duty Free stores. The company said that it will work with top influencers from China, Japan, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand on its “Beauty&You” project to guide customers on how to shop at travel retail online stores via social media platforms.

    Social media influencers with access to a large audience can endorse opinions about products and services, which eventually leads to promote sales.

    Those influencers who have partnered up with Shilla Duty Free reportedly have more than 1.7 million followers worldwide in total. They will work with the travel retailer to guide customers on how to use Shilla Duty Free online store as well as show the latest makeup trends using Korean cosmetics products via their social media channels.

    The company expects its partnership with the top influencers to bolster its brand awareness across the world on top of expanding its share in online travel retail market.

    Currently, its online duty-free shop is available in four languages – Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and English. It also has offline outlets overseas in international airports of Singapore, Hong Kong, and Macao as well as downtown Tokyo and Phuket.

  • Central Retail to double online after Shopee acquisition

    Central Retail to double online after Shopee acquisition

    Central Retail Corporation has announced plans to to double its online sales to THB10 billion (US$315.76 million) this year. Central’s CEO Nicolo Galante said the firm intends to lead in the omni-channel e-commerce business, overtaking Shopee. “Non-food businesses globally have been disrupted by digital transformation and are struggling against the likes of Amazon and Alibaba. As the biggest non-food player in Thailand, Central Retail pledges to move aggressively this year to tap into digital transformation,” said Galante in an interview.

    “We can be for Thailand what Amazon is in Western countries and Alibaba is in China. Everywhere in the world, the No.1 player in e-commerce and digital is always a new-economy company, but in Thailand it could be a company that is 71 years old.”

    In this regard, Central intends to launch an omnichannel platform of services distinctive from those of Lazada, Alibaba and Shopee, whereby the company will retail products and services both at physical stores and online. Central will assist partner brands who lack the resources to build their presence in the marketplace.

    It will launch the first such marketplaces for Central Department Store, PowerBuy and SuperSports within the next six months.

    “We will launch our omnichannel marketplaces for our retail business,” said Galante. “If there are some problems with the products, the customer can return the products to the store, get advice and other services at the store.”

    For apparel, Central will launch launch a “Reserve and Collect” service that allows buyers to reserve two or more sizes or colours of products online and choose which to buy after trying them in-store.

    The move is part of the firm’s considerable investment in technology, teams and new services in the hopes of taking the lead in the e-commerce business by 2021.

  • Indonesia Posts Biggest Trade Gap in 2018

    Indonesia Posts Biggest Trade Gap in 2018

    Indonesia posted a wider than expected trade deficit in December, bringing the gap for 2018 to the largest ever, the Central Statistics Agency, or BPS, said on Tuesday. December’s trade deficit was $1.10 billion, in a third consecutive month where the gap was wider than market expectations. A Reuters poll had expected a deficit of $930 million. Southeast Asia’s largest economy had a deficit of $8.57 billion in 2018, the widest ever, a stark contrast to its $11.84 billion surplus in 2017, BPS chief Suhariyanto said.

    Last year was challenging because exports had slowed at a time when imports surged due to a recovering domestic economy, said Josua Pardede, an economist at Bank Permata in Jakarta. This year would probably be equally challenging, he said.

    “Global economic growth is stagnating. Growth in our major trading partners such as China, the United States, Japan and Europe is slowing. If we can’t find new destinations for our products, export growth could slow further,” Josua said, noting that falling oil prices could cool down imports.

    Economists also warned that the trade data could mean Indonesia’s current-account deficit in the final quarter of 2018 was also wider than expected.

    Bank Indonesia Governor Perry Warjiyo previously said the current-account gap in the fourth quarter was expected at more than 3 percent of gross domestic product, though the full-year gap was seen at about 3 percent.

    The authorities issued a slew of measures to control imports last year, including mandating wider use of biodiesel, raising import tax and delaying big, import-heavy infrastructure projects.

    The central bank also raised interest rates six times by a total of 175 basis points last year to try to bring the current-account gap down, and Perry said the deficit in 2019 was expected at 2.5 percent.

    Fakhrul Fulvian, Trimegah Sekuritas economist, said December trade data proved that Indonesia may need to slow its GDP expansion further to “bring back the balance” and improve the current-account deficit.

    In December, exports dropped 4.62 percent to $14.18 billion on a yearly basis, a second month of contraction, compared with the poll estimate of 1.81 percent increase, largely because of a slump in shipments of mining products.

    Exports to China, Indonesia’s largest trading partner, also fell in December mostly because of a decline in coal and steel sales.

    Meanwhile, December imports were worth $15.28 billion, 1.16 percent up from a year ago, but slower than the forecast of 6.6 percent.

  • BMW Group Malaysia achieves another record year of sales

    BMW Group Malaysia achieves another record year of sales

    BMW Group Malaysia delivered a total of 14,338 units of BMW, MINI and BMW Motorrad vehicles last year, marking its eighth consecutive year of record sales. The total number of vehicles delivered last year was 13% higher than 12,681 units delivered in 2017. The group said in a statement that the strong performance in Malaysia reflects the group’s business performance worldwide last year, where a total of 2.65 million BMW, MINI and BMW Motorrad vehicles were delivered.

    Globally, the BMW brand delivered a total of 2.12 million (+1.8%) vehicles, while MINI saw 361,531 new owners. BMW Motorrad also achieved record deliveries with 165,566 new owners, an increase of 0.9% compared to 2017.

    “In 2018, BMW Group Malaysia achieved numerous milestones which contributed to the success we celebrate today. Over the course of the year, we introduced 12 new models across the BMW and MINI brands – of which four were electrified vehicles. We also unveiled two new concept vehicles for the first time ever not only in Malaysia, but in Southeast Asia,” said BMW Group Malaysia managing director Harald Hoelzl.

    Hoelzl said the group also grew its infrastructure for electromobility in Malaysia by introducing new BMW i Charging Facilities in four different states to facilitate its vision for future mobility in Malaysia.

    In 2018, the BMW brand saw 12,008 new owners in Malaysia, 13% higher than 10,618 new owners in 2017 while MINI recorded a double-digit growth of over 18%, delivering 1,200 vehicles last year compared with 1,011 units previously.

    BMW Motorrad saw 1,130 new owners in 2018, which recorded a growth of over 7% compared to 1,052 in 2017.

    BMW Group Malaysia also recorded its best performance for its electrified vehicles in 2018. Of the total cars delivered, 57% comprised of electrified BMW and MINI (7,532).

    Meanwhile, BMW Group Financial Services Malaysia achieved a strong business portfolio with over 6,100 contracts signed in 2018. It successfully financed every four out of 10 BMW and MINI vehicles delivered last year as well as every six out of 10 BMW Motorrad vehicles last year.

    “2019 will be another exciting year for the BMW Group in Malaysia with a strong portfolio of products to be introduced here, mirroring the biggest model offensive for the company worldwide,” said Hoelzl.

  • Richemont Group sales soars after YNAP acquisitions

    Richemont Group sales soars after YNAP acquisitions

    Richemont Group sales soared 24 per cent in December quarter, to €3.915 billion. It was largely down to the inclusion of online acquisitions Yoox-Net-A-Porter (YNAP) and Watchfinder, which were consolidated into the group’s accounts on May 1 and June 1, respectively. But even excluding that, the sales growth was still strong at 5 per cent by constant exchange rates.

    By region, European sales accelerated at twice the rate of Asia, up 35 per cent at constant exchange rates, with Asia Pacific – still the company’s largest single geographic market – up by 17 per cent.

    Sales in Europe reached €1.147 billion in the quarter, and in Asia €1.389 billion. Sales in the Americas surged 41 per cent to €801 million and in Japan by 14 per cent to €344 million.

    The only market where Richemont failed to perform was the Middle East and Africa, where sales slipped 3 per cent to €234 million.

    The company’s largest category, jewellery maisons, recorded 8 per cent growth to €1.985 billion, while Richemont said YNAP posted double-digit growth across all regions and solid performances across all its categories. Watchfinder’s sales expanded “more moderately”.

    Excluding the new online business unit, Richemont Group sales grew in all regions, with the exception of the Middle East and Europe. During the latter part of the quarter, sales in Europe were affected by social unrest in France which impacted tourism and led to store closures for six consecutive Saturdays. The disposal of Lancel in June also impacted the year-on-year comparison.

    A 10 per cent increase in sales in Asia Pacific reflected double-digit sales growth in Mainland China and good increases in other main markets. Sales growth in Hong Kong slowed, primarily due to the strength of the Hong Kong dollar versus the renminbi that resulted in lower tourist spending.

    In Japan, a 7 per cent expansion in sales was fuelled by continued domestic and tourist spending as well as the impact of newly opened directly operated boutiques.

    Sales in the Americas rose by 9 per cent, primarily driven by the jewellery maisons.

    Of Richemont’s many brands, Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels led the way, increasing sales by 8 per cent, driven by jewellery and watches.

    Richemont operates in four business areas: jewellery maisons, being Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels; specialist watchmakers, being A. Lange & Sohne, Baume & Mercier, IWC Schaffhausen, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Officine Panerai, Piaget, Roger Dubuis and Vacheron Constantin; online distributors, being YNAP and Watchfinder; and other businesses, including Alfred Dunhill, Azzedine Alaïa, Chloe, Montblanc and Peter Millar.

  • Incheon Airport breaks record with 2018 sales

    Incheon Airport breaks record with 2018 sales

    Incheon International Airport announced record annual sales of US$2.4 billion for 2018, beating the previous record set in 2017. The performance ranks Incheon as the world’s number one airport for duty free sales in 2018, ahead of Dubai International. The latter’s anchor retailer, Dubai Duty Free, posted 2018 sales of US$2.015 billion. Sales rose 14.8% year-on-year, driven by the successful opening of Terminal 2 in 2018 and increased passenger traffic from the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Departing passenger traffic rose 9.9% in the year, Incheon International Airport Corporation told The Moodie Davitt Report. A total of 67.7 million passengers used the airport in 2018, including 33.9 million arriving and 33.8 million departing.

    Cosmetics & perfumes continued as the leading product category with a 40% share of the mix and US$953 million in sales. Liquor and tobacco combined took second place with US$540 million (23%).

    Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC) said that the 2019 introduction of arrivals duty free shopping will boost the shopping offer.

    “With the introduction of the first arrival duty free in Korea, Incheon Airport will strengthen its competitiveness as the leading airport of the industry, satisfying customers through an advanced shopping environment,” IAAC commented.

    IIAC noted the retail performance of T2, which opened in January 2018. The terminal boasts outstanding beauty, liquor and tobacco flagship stores that feature exceptional design and digital and experiential components, the corporation said. Luxury boutiques such as Chanel and Valentino also played a role in the record-breaking performance.

    T1 performance was boosted by the addition of new retailers, Shinsegae Duty Free and Grand Duty Free. Both had minimised store closure periods during their respective handovers, IIAC said.

    Despite the collapse in Chinese tourism to South Korea from March 2017 driven by the THAAD row with China, duty free sales have maintained their upward curve throughout the ensuing period. Even in 2017, the nadir of the crisis, Incheon posted a 4.1% rise in duty free sales (admittedly well behind a 7.6% passenger increase).

    While Chinese tourism numbers are still well short of 2016 levels (-41.6% for the first 11 months of 2018), spending by daigou traders spurred the Korean duty free market to new heights last year. Incheon, while having a more balanced passenger spending profile than the overwhelmingly Chinese-dominated downtown stores, still benefited from that trend.

    What happens in 2019 following China’s introduction this month of a new e-commerce designed to crack down on daigou imports? That’s the question on everyone’s lips in Korean (and Asian) travel retail. Incheon International Airport Corporation will hope that a combination of a steady recovery in traditional Chinese tourism, daigou ingenuity in getting around the rules, and strong Japanese and Korean business will maintain the upward trajectory. The imminent introduction of the country’s first arrivals shops will help too.

    Higher sales in 2018 did not, of course, equate to higher profitability for the country’s duty free retailers, hurt by the high costs of attracting daigou shoppers. For Incheon International Airport, however, safely wrapped up in the safe haven of steep minimum annual guarantees, 2018 will go down as a stellar year.

  • John Jacobs India aims to bag Rs 500 cr revenue by March 2021

    John Jacobs India aims to bag Rs 500 cr revenue by March 2021

    Lenskart’s eyewear brand John Jacobs is looking to garner Rs 500 crore in revenue in two years as it strengthens its retail presence and expands the product portfolio. The brand, which has eight stores currently in Delhi, Pune and Bengaluru, will add six more in the next two months and aims to set up about 50 stores by March 2021. “John Jacobs has been witnessing strong growth, we expect to close this fiscal with a topline of Rs 180 crore. By March 2021, we expect our revenues to touch Rs 500 crore,” Manan Duggal, Business Head, John Jacobs said.

    According to a report, about 40 percent of the sales is driven by online channels, with the rest coming from offline stores.

    Last year, Lenskart had said it will invest US$ 4 million in John Jacobs to fuel the brand’s expansion plans.

    “We are aggressively growing our presence both in online and offline. The brand is already retailing through Lenksart outlets (over 450 in more than 100 cities). The aim is to take the number of our own stores from 8 now to 50, by March 2021, covering all major metro cities,” he said, adding that the store expansion will entail investment of about Rs 10-15 crore.

    John Jacobs is also in discussions with fashion retail chains for distribution of its products.

    “In terms of online reach, we are already there on Lenskart and Amazon.in and will soon be available on Flipkart as well,” Duggal said, adding that the brand is aggressively expanding its product portfolio as well.

    John Jacobs recently introduced a new eyewear delivery model where the brand delivers eyeglasses, fitted with powered lenses, in a 20-minute timeframe.

    The service, currently available in select stores in Bengaluru, will be expanded to Delhi and Pune as well, Duggal said.

    He further said that with the new service, the brand expects to “see 30-40 percent upside in orders”.

  • Chow Tai Fook sales slip amid consumer uncertainty

    Chow Tai Fook sales slip amid consumer uncertainty

    Chow Tai Fook sales declined by 11 per cent in same-store sales volume in both Mainland China and Hong Kong & Macau in the December quarter. However the decline in value was less, at 7 per cent in Mainland China and 6 per cent in Macau. Retail sales on the mainland rose by 1 per cent, which seems a modest rate given the company opened 259 new points of sale there during the quarter. Total retail sales value in Hong Kong fell by 1 per cent, despite five new stores opening there.

    In a stock exchange filing, the company said the decline in same-store sales came “amid an uncertain macro environment”.

    In Mainland China, same-store sales of gem-set jewellery declined by 5 per cent, while the average selling price (ASP) fell from HK$6900 in the preceding quarter to $6600.

    In Hong Kong and Macau, gem-set jewellery sales fell by 8 per cent and the ASP from $11,800 to $11,500.

    Sales of gold products in both markets was affected by a decline in volume growth as the gold price strengthened, the company reported. That drove the ASP from $7000 to $7400 in Hong Kong and Macau and from $3900 to $4300 in Mainland China.

  • 7-Eleven parent sales surges: Report

    7-Eleven parent sales surges: Report

    Japanese retail giant Seven & I has reported a 15.8 per cent increase in net sales for the nine months to November. Profit rose by a less impressive 2.9 per cent. The 7-Eleven parent said its overseas convenience store business achieved an impressive 15.7 per cent increase in operating profit year on year.

    At home, its Ito-Yokado superstore managed to reduce its operating loss to ¥200 million (US$1.85 million), however its York-Benimaru supermarket division and Sogo & Seibu department stores both struggled, the latter losing ¥937 million ($8.6 million).

    Seven & I’s net sales totalled ¥4.11 trillion ($38 billion).

  • Strategies that will differentiate leaders in Indian retail in 2019

    Strategies that will differentiate leaders in Indian retail in 2019

    Indian retail industry has seen tremendous transformation and growth in the last few years and has become one of the most favourable market for global investment. The vibrant industry, hugely shaped by changing policies and consumer behaviour is adopting technology not only to understand changing consumer preferences but also to enhance shopping experiences. Innovations have defined a gradual shift in how companies approach retail altogether.

    Technology disruptions have taken all industries in its stride and the cash and carry business is no exception, despite it dealing with B2B customers. Technology has been a pivot for the creation of personalised, ‘instant’ buyer experiences. The players who leverage technology well will be industry leaders of the next decade.

    As we have stepped in 2019, here are some retail trends that will make news this year.

    Integrated Omnichannel presence for retail analytics – Omnichannel in retail has been a high talk point and some retailers have successfully expanded their presence across platforms. However, integration is the key to success in this game. Unless the platforms are integrated, they will present an inconsistent experience to the customers, creating confusion about the product, pricing and promotions.

    Besides ensuring an unswerving experience, a bigger advantage of an integrated Omnichannel approach would be to share and cross-leverage customer behaviour data. For instance, if a customer has a specific purchasing pattern for a product offline, the retailer can use these insights for targeted marketing on various digital platforms. It will not only help the shopper find what they need but also help the retailer generate higher sales through relevant product suggestions and repeat business.

    Shaping in-store experience through proximity marketing – Internet of Things has transformed many industries and has the potential to enable real-time interaction between retailers and consumers, providing them with a truly connected experience. It not only brings about a seamless experience but also enable guided discovery and shopping, using a network of beacons in store. These beacons can help retailers in marketing, mapping the consumer movement patterns and time spent at various sites, in-store messaging, building consumer loyalty etc. This will offer the opportunity to revolutionise in-store experience for consumers.

    Increasing focus towards sustainability – The consumer dynamics have evolved considerably over the last few years. They feel connected to a company or a brand that helps them contribute to social and environmental issues. The inclination of Indian consumers towards building a sustainable future will provide an edge to brands operating sustainably.

    The dynamic regulatory environment and shifting consumer preferences are making it imperative for retailers to decrease the social and environmental impact of their operations. Companies will be seen instituting practices and initiatives to address this need, and, the players who will ace this, will be the most preferred brands for consumers in the future.

    Decreasing wastage, promoting recycling and energy conservation will be certain immediate outcomes of bringing sustainable practices within business operations. Over a longer period, the impact of sustainability will run much deeper, with local community engagement and expected economic benefits.

    Employing Blockchain to enhance credibility through responsible and ethical sourcing –Blockchain technology helps retailers with core functions including supply chain management, inventory management, authenticity verification, auto-renewal and subscription services, customer data and loyalty programmes. However, the key benefits that the technology is delivering to retailers are to ensure authenticity and improve accuracy in tracing the origin of any product swiftly.

    Incorporating blockchain technology will enable retailers to track data right from sourcing stage to customer purchase while ensuring authenticity for their customers. It will also help establish sustainable sourcing practices being followed by the company, making a stronger connect with the millennial consumer.

  • Uniqlo sales performs well globally, not in hometown

    Uniqlo sales performs well globally, not in hometown

    Fast Retailing Group has reported a decline in revenues for Uniqlo Japan against broader successes internationally in its first quarter. A sharp profit decline on sluggish sales of seasonal ranges during a warm winter in Japan has given rise to disappointing results in the Uniqlo brand’s home territory. Uniqlo Japan posted revenues of ¥246.1 billion (US$2.27 billion), a decrease of 4.3 per cent year on year, with first-quarter profit before taxes of ¥111 billion ($1.03 billion), down 5.7 per cent; and profit attributable to owners of the parent firm of ¥73.4 billion ($678.4 million), down 6.4 per cent. Online sales expanded favourably in the market, however, showing an increase of 30.9 per cent.

    Uniqlo International saw an operating profit far exceeding that of Uniqlo Japan, with revenues at ¥291.3 billion (2.69 billion) up 12.8 per cent. Uniqlo Greater China and Uniqlo South Korea both reported higher sales and profits despite the dampening effect of the warm winter. Uniqlo Southeast Asia & Oceania continued to report significant revenue and profit gains.

    The report said Fast Retailing’s consolidated business estimates for the financial year ending August 31 remain unchanged from the initial forecasts released last October, predicting an 8 per cent expansion in revenue and 14.3 per cent increase in operating profits.

  • November Singapore retail sales stagnant

    November Singapore retail sales stagnant

    November Singapore retail sales were static, rising just 0.2 per cent year on year after removing motor vehicles from the data. On a month-on-month basis, sales rose 1.4 per cent, again after disregarding motor vehicles. Perhaps the most interesting figure was the share of total retail sales which occurred online, reaching 6.6 per cent. In September, online accounted for 4.9 per cent of sales, in October 5 per cent. The November figure suggests the Singles Day shopping promotions on November 11 had a significant impact in Singapore.

    The worst-performing retail category in November Singapore retail sales was computers and telecommunications equipment, slumping 22.1 per cent year on year, which Statistics Singapore attributes to strong sales of phones in November 2017 due to the launch of new models.

    The optical goods and books categories posted sales declines of 4.6 per cent, while food retailers and supermarkets & hypermarkets fell by 3.7 per cent and 1.4 per cent, respectively.

    Department stores registered an increase of 8.7 per cent in sales, while medical goods & toiletries sales rose by 4.8 per cent.

    Turnover of fast-food outlets, restaurants and other eating places (such as cafes) increased between by 2.5 per cent and 4.5 per cent year on year in November. However, sales of food caterers decreased 2 per cent.

  • Tesco Asia sales continue dropping despite growth in profit

    Tesco Asia sales continue dropping despite growth in profit

    Tesco Asia like-for-like sales continue to decline while the UK-headquartered company repositions its offer – masking a stronger underlying performance for the business. “We have made good progress in our discussions with suppliers towards a new commercial approach,” explained Tesco CEO Dave Lewis in a quarterly update. “We also accelerated planned changes to our operating model in Thailand, helping to reduce costs and underpinning our profit recovery.”

    Lewis said that despite minor changes to the government-issued welfare cards scheme during the third quarter, Tesco Thailand sales fell by about 1 per cent for the 19-weeks including the key Christmas trading period.

    Restructured Thailand store operations have led to reduced costs, underpinning profit recovery at the expense of sales.

    Referring to Tesco’s global operations, Lewis added: “We have more to do everywhere but remain bang on track to deliver our plans for the year and as we enter our centenary we are in a strong position.”

    The December quarter represented the 12th consecutive quarter of like-for-like sales growth for Tesco globally, with sales up 2.6 per cent.