Delhaize Group‘s 2015 turnover grew more than 15 %, mostly thanks to advantageous exchange rates. If those are eliminated, then turnover would still have grown 3 %, considerably lower.
Southeast Europe experiences biggest growth
The group’s total turnover reached 24.4 billion euro in 2015, up 15.6 % compared to the year before (+ 3.2 % excluding exchange rate fluctuations). Delhaize expects the underlying group profit to reach 870 million euro, up 18 % (+ 4 % excluding exchange rate fluctuations).
Turnover in its home territory, Belgium, grew 1.3 % to 4.983 billion euro, while like-for-like turnover grew 0.9 %. The turnover increase in the United States was identical for both turnover and like-for-like turnover, namely 2.2 %, resulting in a 17.794 billion euro turnover (in local currency). When exchanged into euro, it was a 20 % increase. Its Southeast Europe region managed a 9.5 % turnover increase to 3.374 billion euro, with like-for-like turnover growth at 3.5 %.
“We want to further improve and expand our Food Lion‘s Easy, Fresh and Affordable formula into a new market and when it comes to Belgium, we want to further implement our Transformation Plan. We are convinced we will continue to see turnover growth in all markets in 2016, thanks to like-for-like growth and expansion, particularly in Southeast Europe”, CEO Frans Muller said.
Delhaize Group’s full-year results will be published on 3 March.
