Booker Reports Marginal Rise in 4Q Same Store Sales

LONDON--Food wholesaler Booker Group PLC (BOK.LN) Thursday reported marginal increase in same store sales for the last quarter of its fiscal 2017 year, and said total sales for the full-year will be around 7% ahead of last year.

For the 12 weeks to March 24, the company recorded like-for-like sales growth of 0.7% and total sales growth of 0.5%. Non-tobacco same store sales grew by 4.7%, while tobacco sales declined 7.5% due to the tobacco display ban and new plain packaging restrictions.

The company, which in January agreed to merge with U.K.'s largest supermarket chain Tesco PLC (TSCO.LN) in a 3.7 billion pounds ($4.59 billion) cash and stock deal, said sales for the 52 weeks ended March 24 will total GBP5.3 billion. Like-for-like non-tobacco sales increased by 2.8% and tobacco sales reduced by 4.6% during the fiscal year, the company added.

Booker operates a nationwide cash-and-carry network of 200 stores, serving independent retailers, catering and small-business customers and other places where food is available such as pubs and cinemas. It is slated to publish its fiscal 2017 results on May 18.

Write to Tapan Panchal at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 30, 2017 02:29 ET (06:29 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2017 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.