J Sainsbury PLC (LSE:SBRY) has reported stronger sales growth at the start of its financial year and reiterated full-year guidance.
Total sales increased 4.9% in the 16 weeks to 21 June 2025, with grocery sales rising 5.0%, general merchandise and clothing up 4.2%, and Argos sales up 4.4%.
Like-for-like sales excluding fuel increased by 4.7%. This compares to 3.2% LFL sales for the whole of last year.
For the full year, the FTSE 100 group said it continues to expect a retail underlying operating profit of around £1 billion, with retail free cash flow of more than £500 million.
Profits are expected to be weighted more towards the second half than was seen last year, supported by continued growth in the contribution from Nectar and "industry-leading cost saving".
Against a backdrop of data showing rising UK food price inflation, chief executive Simon Roberts talked up the company’s ability to compete with rivals on price and other factors. "We know how important it is that we provide consistently great value and we have built further on our strong competitive position, improving our prices against all key competitors year-on-year," he said.
He said Sainsbury's stores are offering "the biggest Aldi Price Match commitment in the market", covering around 800 products.