Woolworths Australian Supermarket Sales Rise 4.8%

Woolworths Ltd. (WOW), Australia’s largest retailer, posted second-quarter domestic supermarket sales growth of 4.8 percent, lagging behind rival Coles.

Revenue at the company’s Australian food and liquor outlets rose to A$10.3 billion ($10.7 billion) in the three months ended Dec. 30, Sydney-based Woolworths said in a statement today. Coles, a unit of Wesfarmers Ltd. (WES), yesterday posted supermarket sales growth of 5 percent.

The two supermarkets have engaged in a price war as they compete for customers in a grocery market where they have a combined 80 percent share. Woolworths said average food and liquor prices fell 2.8 percent during the second quarter while Coles yesterday said deflation at its stores was 0.9 percent.

To contact the reporter on this story: David Fickling in Sydney at dfickling@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Anjali Cordeiro at acordeiro2@bloomberg.net