Royal Ahold NV, operator of Stop & Shop supermarkets in Connecticut, says heavy U.S. advertising helped fourth-quarter sales rise 2.6 percent to euro6.98 billion ($9.38 billion), The Associated Press reports.
Ahold is not due to release profit and loss figures for the quarter until March 3. It says in a trading update that sales would have been up 5.5 percent if adjusted for exchange rates and the impact of an additional week in 2009.
The Dutch company says that in the U.S., sales were up 6 percent to $5.6 billion on an adjusted basis, mostly due to acquisitions.
Ahold said it undertook “intense” advertising measures, reflecting customers’ “focus on value.” Same-store sales rose 1.9 percent.
Stop & Shop is based in Massachusetts. Ahold also operates Giant supermarkets in the nation’s mid-Atlantic region.
In the Netherlands, sales fell 3.5 percent to euro2.4 billion, entirely due to the extra week, Ahold said Thursday.
