UK retail giant Tesco has reported strong first-quarter sales growth and said its UK sales growth outperformed the rest of the industry.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Go deeper with GlobalData

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


Group sales for the twelve weeks to 22 May 2004 rose 12.3% compared to the year-ago quarter. Tesco said total UK sales for the twelve-week period were up 11.1%, “significantly ahead of the industry”. Like-for-like sales were up 7.8%, driven by strong volumes of 7.7%.


International sales were up 24% in the first quarter in local currencies. Tesco said the currency impact due to the strong pound resulted in sterling sales being up 18%, in line with the company’s plans.


“All countries contributed to this growth despite some continued tough trading conditions,” Tesco said.


“I am particularly pleased that our core UK food business has continued to grow market share and to perform very strongly in the first quarter,” added chief executive Terry Leahy.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact