“I am pleased with our first half performance, which builds on already strong momentum. Our market share gains in the UK are a particular highlight and reflect the decisive action we took at the start of the year to further invest in value, quality and service.
The extension of our savings programme is helping offset new operating cost inflation, including increased National Insurance and other regulatory costs. Sales have grown across all our businesses, with customer satisfaction scores improving once again.
The steps we have taken to keep prices down for customers have improved our price position relative to the market. We have continued to enhance quality across all our ranges, including Finest, which is now in its third year of double-digit sales growth. Our summer ranges also benefited from over 470 new products and we continued to deliver market-leading availability. The opening of our new semi-automated distribution centre in Aylesford will further support our core fresh food offer.
We are also continuing to invest in our long-term growth, leveraging technology to drive more personalised engagement through Clubcard and deeper retail media reach across channels and suppliers. Our online business is going from strength-to-strength, enhanced by the recent launch of F&F online and continued growth in Whoosh, our rapid delivery service.
Competitive intensity remains high, and with continued pressure on household budgets, we remain committed to ensuring customers get the best possible value by shopping at Tesco. As we continue to invest, we are creating sustainable value for all our stakeholders. Our colleagues are central to everything we do, and I would like to thank them all for the role they have each played in delivering for our customers.” - Ken Murphy, Group Chief Executive
