Countdown sales rise in first quarter, boosted by dearer dairy, produce

Countdown sales rise in first quarter, boosted by dearer dairy, produce
Sophie Boot
By Sophie Boot Oct. 31 (BusinessDesk) - Countdown supermarket sales rose 3.2 percent in the first quarter of the 2018 financial year, boosted by more expensive dairy products and fresh produce. New Zealand food sales increased to $1.63 billion in the 14 weeks to Oct. 1 from $1.58 billion in the same quarter a year earlier, Woolworths said in an update to the Australian stock exchange. In Australian dollars, sales gained 0.4 percent to A$1.5 billion, with the smaller gain down to a weaker kiwi dollar against its Australian counterpart....