Sainsbury’s sales rise 3.1% as grocery momentum offsets clothing decline

Sainsbury's first-quarter income accrued by 3.1% to £8.04bn successful the 16 weeks to 20 June 2026, with the UK supermarket radical gaining marketplace stock and outperforming the broader market sector.

Grocery income climbed by 3.6% to £7.6bn, portion wide merchandise and covering dropped by 3.7% to £438m. Argos income fell by 0.5% to £1.11bn.

Total retail income excluding substance grew by 2.7% to £9.15bn, with like-for-like income excluding substance up by 2.1%.

Fresh nutrient income accrued by 5%, with the retailer reporting "record-breaking" income successful berries and burgers during the May heatwave and its "best-ever" Easter lamb sales.

Groceries Online income roseate by 12.5%.

Tu Clothing income declined by 2.1%, which Sainsbury's said outperformed a brushed covering market, portion wide merchandise income fell by 6.3%, reflecting an ongoing programme to displacement abstraction allocation distant from non-food towards food.

At Argos, income dropped by 0.5%, arsenic measurement maturation of 2.2% was offset by little mean selling prices amid subdued user spending.

The retailer added much than 5,000 caller products to its Supplier Direct Fulfilled scope during the quarter, bringing the full to 26,000 unrecorded products, and said it remains connected way to motorboat a Marketplace aboriginal successful the fiscal year.

Sainsbury's said it remains connected way to present £1bn of outgo savings implicit the 3 years to March 2027.

The retailer said facial designation exertion is present unrecorded successful much than 55 stores, with up to 150 further stores planned earlier Christmas.

Sainsbury CEO Simon Roberts said: "Customers are looking for worth present much than ever. We are consistently delivering outstanding prime astatine large value, truthful much radical are choosing Sainsbury's for their large play shop. This has driven an encouraging commencement to the twelvemonth with continued measurement maturation and marketplace outperformance."

For the 2026/27 fiscal twelvemonth (FY26/27), Sainsbury's said it continues to expect full underlying operating nett of betwixt £975m and £1.07bn, and retail escaped currency travel of much than £500m.

It besides noted uncertainty implicit the interaction of the struggle successful the Middle East connected its customers and business.

"Sainsbury's income emergence 3.1% arsenic market momentum offsets covering decline" was primitively created and published by Retail Insight Network, a GlobalData owned brand.