Woolworths, which has about 40 per cent of New Zealand's supermarket sales, lifted revenue by 2.9 per cent at its Countdown-brand stores in the third quarter of the current financial year and claimed an increase in market share and customers.
Australia's largest retailer said New Zealand supermarket sales rose to
$1.397 billion in the 13 weeks ended April 1 from $1.358 billion in the same period a year earlier. In Australian dollar terms, revenue rose 6.1 per cent.
Sydney-based Woolworths has rebranded all its New Zealand supermarkets as Countdown, phasing out the Woolworths brand as it repositions the stores closer to the Pak'n'Save value brand of local rival Foodstuffs, which has 60 per cent of the market.
"We experienced another quarter of pleasing sales growth and continued to build momentum by growing market share, customer numbers, items sold and basket size," said Woolworths New Zealand managing director Dave Chambers, in the statement.
Still, New Zealand's economy "remains challenging with relatively static supermarket industry growth," he said.
