A boost from the World Cup helped pizza franchise owner DP Poland Plc (LON:DPP) to a bumper first half. The AIM-listed group saw total sales rise by 38% and like-for-like by 13% in the first six months of 2018.
WATCH: WORLD CUP ADDS SPICE TO BUMPER FIRST HALF FOR DP POLAND
DP owns the franchise for Domino’s Pizza in Poland and achieved the sales growth despite the unusually warm weather in May and June. Profits margins also received a lift from a drop in the price of cheese, one of the main costs of making a pizza. “Healthy growth in Poland's consumer economy has encouraged competitive activity as food delivery aggregators and direct pizza delivery competitors have been investing in both marketing and store openings, consequently the Polish home delivery market is showing significant growth,” added Peter Shaw, chief executive. DP Poland now has 59 stores in Poland after opening five in the first half of the year with a further six planned to open over the remainder of 2018. The new commissary at Lodz is also operating well, Shaw said. Shares rose 3% to 30p.