Ahold has today (20 January) reported on an improved set of financial results for the fourth quarter of 2010 and the year as a whole, delivering what it has described as a strong sales performance across all of its markets.
Net sales for the final quarter of 2010 increased 5.5 per cent year-on-year to hit €7bn, contributing to full-year net sales of €29.5bn – growth of 4.4 per cent after adjustments when compared with 2009.
'The environment remained challenging and customers continued to focus on value, driving intense promotional activity, particularly in the US,' the group noted.
The retailer's domestic operations in the Netherlands saw yearly net sales climb 4.7 per cent to €10.1bn after adjustments for constant exchange rates and the impact of an additional week in 2009.
Across European stores, covering the Czech Republic and Slovakia, sales for 2010 dropped 3.5 per cent at constant exchange rates to €1.7bn, negatively impacted by store closures and downsizings as part of an ongoing restructuring programme.
In the US, meanwhile, net sales jumped 5.1 per cent to US$23.5bn, or 3.1 per cent before adjustments, and comparable sales rose 1.9 per cent.
The combined net sales of Ahold's unconsolidated joint ventures, ICA and JMR, increased 10.4 per cent to €12.9bn, or 3.1 per cent at constant exchange rates.
