News: COL Coles Group Posts H1 Supermarkets Comparable Sales Growth Of 7.2%

Feb 17 (Reuters) - Coles Group Ltd (COL) :

• H1 SUPERMARKETS COMPARABLE SALES GROWTH 7.2%
• H1 LIQUOR COMPARABLE SALES GROWTH 15.1%
• COVID-19 COSTS INCURRED IN FIRST HALF WERE ABOUT $105 MILLION WITH ABOUT $40 MILLION INCURRED IN Q2
• DEPENDING ON COVID-19, SALES IN SUPERMARKET SECTOR MAY MODERATE SIGNIFICANTLY OR EVEN DECLINE IN SECOND HALF OF FY21 AND INTO FY22
• SUPERMARKETS COMPARABLE SALES GROWTH HAS CONTINUED TO MODERATE AND IN FIRST SIX WEEKS OF Q3 WAS 3.3%
• GROSS OPERATING CAPITAL EXPENDITURE FOR FULL YEAR IS NOW EXPECTED TO BE ABOUT $1.1 BILLION
• IN H2 FY21, SUPERMARKETS SALES AND EBIT GROWTH ARE EXPECTED TO FACE CHALLENGES RELATIVE TO PRIOR CORRESPONDING PERIOD
• STORE NETWORK AND FORMAT RENEWAL PROGRAM FOR FY21 REMAINS UNCHANGED
• EXPECTS TO INCUR COVID-19 COSTS OF UP TO $10 MILLION PER MONTH WITH MAJORITY OF COSTS TO BE RELATED TO STORE REMUNERATION & CLEANING AND HYGIENE