Shoprite posts increase in turnover

2010/01/13

Retailer Shoprite on Wednesday posted an increase in first-half turnover due to a rise in sales at its South African operations.

The group said it had performed "satisfactorily" in the six months to December 31, 2009, growing turnover by 11.9 percent to R33.1 billion. Supermarket operations in South Africa increased sales by 14.6 percent, Shoprite said in a statement.

However, due to the weakening of most non-South African currencies against the rand the turnover of the group's non-South African supermarkets in rand terms declined by 4.3 percent.

"Against the background of a furniture industry that was more unfavourably affected by the economic downturn, the group's furniture division sales grew by 11.5 percent for the six months," Shoprite said.

Apart from South Africa, Shoprite has operations in Angola, Botswana, Ghana, India, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. (Source : Sapa)