/ 16 June 2010

UK supermarket chain wins boost from vuvuzelas

Uk Supermarket Chain Wins Boost From Vuvuzelas

British supermarket chain Sainsbury said on Wednesday that its World Cup goods — and vuvuzelas — are selling very well, but reported slowing group sales in the first quarter.

“Our World Cup range is selling well and our vuvuzela horns are a ‘must have’ item for football fans,” chief executive Justin King said in a trading update.

So far, the retailer has sold more than 40 000 England-branded vuvuzelas, according to a company spokesperson. The vuvuzelas cost £2 each.

Sainsbury expects to sell about 75 000 vuvuzelas in Britain over the course of the tournament.

The monotone sound of the horns blown by supporters at matches in South Africa has become an unofficial soundtrack to the World Cup — but has also attracted criticism from broadcasters and some players who complain they cannot hear their teammates’ shouts or the referee’s whistle.

Sainsbury said earlier this week it was selling one vuvuzela every two seconds on Saturday, when England played the United States in a game that ended 1-1 after a blunder from England goalkeeper Robert Green gifted the Americans the equaliser.

The British supermarket giant added on Wednesday that the group’s total sales, excluding petrol, and on a like-for-like basis that strips out the effect of new floor space, rose 1,1% in the 12 weeks to June 12.

That compared with growth of 7% in the first quarter of the group’s previous financial year.

“We’ve delivered another good performance ahead of the market on top of strong growth last year,” added King.

“While we continue to expect the consumer environment to remain challenging, our universal customer appeal, unique loyalty offer and accelerated growth strategy mean we are well placed to make continued good progress.”

Sainsbury’s is the third biggest supermarket chain in Britain after Wal-Mart-owned Asda and the country’s largest retailer, Tesco. — AFP