Supermarket group Sainsbury’s, owners of furniture brand Habitat and catalogue retailer Argos, has reported a growth in first quarter sales.

According to its first quarter trading statement for the 16 weeks to 21 June 2025, total group retail sales rose 4.9%, with like-for-like sales up 4.7% against the same period last year.

Sainsbury’s sales rose 4.9%, with General Merchandise (and clothing) sales up 4.2%. Argos sales rose 4.4% in the period.

Commenting on its Argos division, the group said: “Argos sales grew ahead of a subdued, highly competitive and deflationary general merchandise market, helped by warm and dry weather against a weak comparative.

“We are making good progress with our More Argos, more often strategy, focused on driving frequency of visit and basket size, with strong customer traffic and volume growth in the first quarter.

“Improvements to customers’ digital journeys are delivering a more tailored and personalised experience on our website and on our app, driving an increase in app participation and strong online growth. This has been partially offset by instore sales declines as we near the end of the impact of our store closure programme.”