Sales Performance
Q3 year-on-year sales growth - 16 weeks to 3 January 2026
09 January 2026
Third Quarter Trading Statement 2025/26
Investment in customer offer delivers significant Christmas market share gains
Simon Roberts"We have won grocery market share for the sixth consecutive Christmas period, again delivering our winning combination of value, quality, service and availability for customers. More customers switched to Sainsbury’s, trusting us for both great value essentials and premium Taste the Difference products in their big Christmas shop and we were the only major grocer to grow items in the basket."
Chief Executive of J Sainsbury plc
4.9%
Sainsbury’s
(1.0)%
Argos
5.4%
Grocery
3.9%
Total Retail (exc. fuel)
(1.1)%
Sainsbury's General Merchandise & Clothing
3.4%
Retail LFL (exc. fuel)
2025/26 Outlook
View GuidanceWe have made balanced choices to invest and sustain the strength of our competitive position through the most important trading period of the year. These investments in value, quality and service have delivered further strong grocery trading momentum and market share gains and, despite weaker general merchandise market conditions, we continue to expect to deliver Retail underlying operating profit of more than £1 billion.
We now expect to deliver Retail free cash flow of more than £550 million (previous guidance: more than £500 million), reflecting strong working capital performance. We continue to expect to return more than £800 million of cash to shareholders this financial year through ordinary dividends, a £250 million special dividend and a £250 million share buyback.
Strategic Highlights
The continued strength of our performance over the third quarter is a result of the investments we have made in the first two years of our Next Level plan. Through strengthening our operations and technology, investing in our stores, building stronger relationships with supplier partners and making balanced choices to invest in the areas that matter most to customers, we are delivering a winning combination of value, quality, availability and service.
6th
consecutive Christmas period of winning grocery market share
Best ever
food availability over Christmas
8%
Fresh food sales growth
15%
Taste the Difference Fresh sales growth
Record
Nectar participation in the key Christmas weeks
Growth
in Argos volumes in a subdued market
Results materials
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