Costcutter reports ‘outstanding’ sales in 2019  

Costcutter Supermarkets Group (CSG) said its sales soared by 10 percent in 2019, making it one of the best ever years for the symbol group.

Total sales touched £426 million, and EBITDA rose by more than £9 million to £5.1 million for the period Jan 1 to Dec 31 2019, the company said in its annual results.

“2019 has been an outstanding year for CSG, delivering one of our strongest set of results to date. Having built a solid foundation in 2018, we were able to realise the potential of our business model to deliver growth throughout 2019,” said Darcy Willson-Rymer, chief executive of CSG.

Willson-Rymer said innovative solutions for the group’s independent retailers have been pivotal to its success.

“Over the past 12 months we have accelerated our investments in our overall retail offer and the guidance and support we provide for our retailers,” he added. “Last year we said that we are challenging what symbol groups can deliver and we believe that 2019 proved our ability to fulfil that promise.”

The group said it has seen a 22 percent increase in non-tobacco sales across the first four months of 2020, thanks to the surge in demand in response to the coronavirus crisis.

“In just two months, the coronavirus crisis has transformed the value of the convenience sector for shoppers and local communities,” Willson-Rymer commented.

“Our retailers’ stores provided an essential role in providing lifeline support for their communities and keeping the nation fed. As a result, we expect sales to remain higher than usual for the time-being. However, as the lockdown eases, demand may begin to slowly return to normal levels.”

Willson-Rymer added that the group will strive to convert these “new lifeline shoppers into lifelong shoppers.”

“We will do this through both the Shopper First programme and its proven ability to help participating stores focus on the right range and offer with an emphasis on fresh foods, and by helping retailers become even closer to local communities through an increased focus on digital experience and platforms such as Uber Eats,” he explained.