Asda has traded ahead of expectations in March and over the Easter holidays.
Fresh food was one of the categories leading the strong performance.
The Wal-Mart-owned chain said sales were “ahead of plan, driven by high traffic and the Easter season, with the strongest performances in confectionery, fresh foods, children’s wear and video game software”.
Wal-Mart has raised its profit forecast for the first quarter because costs were being well managed and April sales looked promising.
Mike Duke, vice-chairman responsible for Wal-Mart International, said: “We are pleased with the overall performance of our international markets. We had strong sales performance in key countries, including the UK, Canada, Brazil and China.”
Wal-Mart as a whole reported March sales up by 0.7 per cent.
Asda operates 345 stores in total, including 13 Asda Living shops and 12 George high-street outlets.
Asda chief executive Andy Bond had warned that the current year is likely to be more challenging.
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