Thu, 08 Jan 2026

Thu, 08 Jan 2026 Tesco and M&S report strong Christmas food sales

Both major retailers report strong food sales, but M&S says sales of clothing and homeware fell.
Retail Performance Over Christmas:
* Tesco's UK sales rose by 3.2% compared to last year, with its food sales increasing by 5.2%.
* Marks & Spencer (M&S) saw a record number of customers and reported strong food sales, but clothing, home, and beauty product sales fell.
* AB Foods, owner of Primark, reported weaker-than-expected sales at the fashion chain. Market Share:
* Tesco achieved its highest market share in over a decade, with 27.5% of the UK grocery market.
* M&S' food sales accounted for a significant portion of its total sales, but the company's clothing business struggled. Industry Analysis:
* GlobalData Retail associate director Sofie Willmott said that Tesco's performance was driven by price matching and offering lower prices to Clubcard holders.
* Analyst Aarin Chiekrie noted that while Tesco reported a strong Christmas, its wholesale business Booker suffered from declining tobacco sales. Share Prices:
* Tesco's shares fell 6% after the company released its profit guidance.
* AB Foods' shares dropped by over 10% after it reported weaker-than-expected Primark sales.
* Greggs' shares declined by 9% as the bakery chain warned of subdued consumer confidence.
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