Italian retailer La Rinascente said its overall group sales in 2002 were €6.1bn (US$6.6bn), a year-on-year rise of 6.9%.

The company said its food sales rose by 7.8%, while supermarkets’ sales volumes grew faster than hypermarkets, reported Dow Jones News.

La Rinascente, which is Italy’s largest retailer, is soon to be delisted after a successful takeover by its chief shareholder Eurofind, a company that is part owned by French retailer Auchan.