Dutch retailer Ahold has announced that consolidated net sales hit €27.9bn (US$39.6bn) for the full-year ended 3 January 2010, an increase of 8.9 per cent compared with 2008, with sales up 6 per cent at constant exchange rates.
Results were boosted by a strong fourth quarter, during which net sales climbed 3.4 per cent (11 per cent at constant exchange rates) to €6.8bn (US$9.6bn), positively impacted by an additional week compared with the previous year.
The group's Albert Heijn operations in the Netherlands saw sales increase 12.3 per cent to €2.5bn (US$3.5bn) through the fourth quarter, helping the chain to a rise of 9.7 per cent to €9.8bn (US$13.9bn) of yearly net sales.
In the US, Stop & Shop/Giant Landover recorded full-year sales growth of 4.6 per cent to US$17.9bn (€12.6bn), backed by a strong fourth quarter through which net sales improved by 10.5 per cent to hit US$4.4bn (€3.1bn).
Elsewhere in the country, Giant-Carlisle sales increased by 15 per cent to US$1.3bn (€916m) in the final quarter of 2009, helping the chain achieve 4.6 per cent yearly sales growth to US$5bn (€3.5bn).
However, Ahold's eastern European operation Albert/Hypernova endured a difficult year, with net sales down 5 per cent to €1.7bn (US$2.4bn). The group, which is based in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, saw fourth quarter sales fall 1.8 per cent to €431m (€611m).
