Christmas boost for Tesco following Q3 sales dip

Retail giant Tesco has reported a rise in sales during the Christmas period in its latest trading update.

According to an update covering the 19 weeks up to January 4, the group saw a 0.1 per cent rise in sales over the festive period, following a drop of 0.4 per cent in Q3.

Dave Lewis, Tesco chief executive, commented: “In a subdued UK market we performed well, delivering our fifth consecutive Christmas of growth.

“In our centenary year, our customer proposition was compelling, our product offering very competitive and thanks to the outstanding contribution of our colleagues, our operational performance was the best of the last six years.

“As a result, this Christmas we had the biggest ever day of UK food sales in our history.”