Morrisons has revealed its strongest sales growth for more than a year as the supermarket group’s turnaround gathers pace.
The debt-laden retailer said it was boosted by hot weather and the World Cup over the latest quarter.
Boss Rami Baitieh said the group’s trading was “robust” and surpassed wider UK grocery market after investment into improving its pricing.
The Bradford-based firm revealed that group like-for-like sales grew by 3.2% over the 13 weeks to July 26, compared with the same period a year earlier.
Total sales increased to £4.1 billion for the quarter, the company added.
Bosses said that “lower prices” helped drive an increase in sales volumes, while the group also revealed a double-digit jump in online sales for the quarter.
The private equity-owned firm also said it has made a “good start” for the latest quarter and is “well-prepared” for Halloween.
Trading was also buoyed by the continued growth of its convenience business, having opened 71 new Morrisons Daily franchise stores so far this year.
The company said it has plans for “hundreds more” over the coming years.
Morrisons’ turnaround strategy has also seen it secure further cost savings, delivering around £53 million more in savings over the latest quarter to take total savings to almost £1 billion since first launching the overhaul.
Mr Baitieh said: “Our stronger sales momentum reflected a broad-based improvement across the business – with our supermarkets, online, convenience, pharmacy and Myton manufacturing businesses all reporting good growth, underlining our progress with our plans to renew and modernise Morrisons.
“We are pleased with our third quarter performance.
“Our stronger like-for-like sales, the combination of lower prices and volume growth, and our market share improvement, are all clear evidence that our strategy is delivering and that we remain on track with our plans.”
