Tesco said its 1.8% sales increase across its UK and Republic of Ireland (ROI) division had built on an “exceptionally strong” prior-year period, supported by record-breaking weather and competitor disruption.

Food sales were up +2.6%, with Tesco reporting that its fresh food sales were up +3.6%. Across the Tesco Finest brand, the retailer achieved total sales growth of +9%. It also said it had achieved strong online growth, as sales increased by 8.9%.

Booker sales for the period were £2,246 million, a decline in like-for-like sales of 3.2%, which the retailer said reflected lower-margin contract exit and strong prior-year sales growth.

Across the group, it achieved sales of £16,826 million, a 1% like-for-like sales change.

Looking ahead, Tesco said it continued to expect group adjusted operating profit of between £3 billion and £3.3 billion for FY26/27.

Tesco foresees continued sales growth

Ken Murphy, chief executive of Tesco, commented: “I am pleased with our progress in the first quarter, with customer satisfaction up strongly and continued sales growth building on the exceptional performance we delivered last year. With the conflict in the Middle East creating ongoing uncertainty for many households, we remain focused on giving customers the very best combination of price, quality and service.

“We extended Aldi Price Match to over 2,000 Express stores during the quarter, helping customers benefit from great value wherever and however they shop with us. We are also investing in innovation and quality, with over 520 new and improved products launched during the period, including our largest ever Finest deli transformation and a further expansion of our Tesco High Protein range.

“Shopping at Tesco is ever more convenient and personalised, with the rollout of ‘Book for Later’ Whoosh delivery slots offering more options for same-day delivery, and Your Clubcard Prices providing nearly 100 million tailored offers for customers since launching in March. Tesco Media is growing strongly, with the World Cup providing exciting opportunities to help us connect brands and customers.

“I want to thank colleagues for their continued dedication and hard work. By relentlessly focusing on what matters most for our customers, we are well-placed to build on our progress to date.”