In the first quarter of the year, DIA post a turnover of EUR2.73bn, up 5.6%

Between January and March, DIA generated gross sales under banner of EUR2.73bn, 5.6% more at constant rates than in the first quarter of 2012. Of note, emerging countries posted sales growth of 28.2%.

In Spain, gross sales were up by 3% to EUR1.20bn. In February, DIA integrated the Schlecker chain, specialising in household, beauty and health products.

“The first quarter has been a challenging quarter for DIA, but once again we have been able to deliver a very solid performance. The Schlecker integration has been successfully completed in record time, while at the same time we pursue the plan to reinforce our competitive position and improve sales. In Spain, in a very challenging and difficult consumer context, we have been able to gain market share. Thus, in 2013, despite challenging conditions in Europe, we remain optimistic about our ability to continue to grow the business, while we concentrate our investment and efforts on our key regions.”, declared Ricardo Currás, CEO of DIA.

Underlying net profit reached EUR28m, 19% more than in the same period in 2012. In the first quarter of the year, DIA invested EUR70.3m (ex-acquisitions), and close to 61% of this investment was in Iberia, up 14% versus the previous year, while emerging countries saw a 42.7% rise in investments. At the end of March, DIA operated 6,997 stores, with 47 net openings in the quarter.