Tesco enjoys biggest Xmas for three years

Tesco has posted its strongest Christmas results in three years, with like-for-like sales up 5.1 per cent in the UK.

The whole group sales – including its international business – increased by 7.5 per cent in the six weeks to January 9th 2010.

The results were driven by sales of champagne as well as non-food items, including clothing, electrical items and toys.

Meanwhile, Tesco Direct – the firm’s catalogue service – enjoyed a sales growth of 50 per cent for the six weeks period, with a strong performance in video games, entertainment, toys, TVs and digital downloads.

Online sales of both food and non-food items also grew 20 per cent for the same period.