DIA Group generates gross sales of EUR5.42bn in First Half 2011

Madrid, 30 August 2011. Between January and June this year, the DIA Group generated gross sales under banner of EUR5.42bn euros. In local currency terms, this figure represents a 4.7% rise compared to H1 2010. In comparable terms (stores which have been open for over a year), sales rose by 1.5% in H1 2011. At end-June 2011, there were 6,464 stores under the DIA banner.

The DIA Group boosted its sales growth rate in Q2: gross sales between April and June climbed by 5.5%. Ricardo Currás, CEO of the DIA Group, declared that “The faster sales growth in Q2, mainly due to higher revenues in comparable stores, is the result of the good progress made on our transformation programmes, especially in Iberia and France. Of particular significance is the progress made in emerging countries -Argentina, Brazil, Turkey and China- both in terms of comparable sales         -with double-digit growth- and absolute sales thanks to strong expansion while doubling our profitability”.

In Spain, despite tough economic conditions, the DIA Group’s gross sales grew by 1.6%, in H1 2011 reaching EUR2.27bn.

EBITDA adjusted for extraordinary items grew by 10.1% to EUR233.8m. Operating costs decreased in H1 2011 by 0.3% to EUR770m, allowing DIA Group to confirm that the “2009-12 Cost Control and Productivity Improvement Programme” is progressing in line with expectations.

The company confirms that it will achieve the targets it has set for 2011. In mature markets (eg, Iberia, France), the company will continue to focus on cost control, improving productivity, transforming stores into the new DIA Market and DIA Maxi formats, and developing franchises. In emerging countries, the strategy is still based on expansion and enhancing productivity.