Booker sign

A declining tobacco market and lower Best Food Logistics volumes have led to Booker reporting a dip in sales for the year.

In the Tesco preliminary results for 2024/25, Booker’s like-for-like sales dipped 1.8% year-on-year. Its statement attributed the drop to a decline in the tobacco category and lower volumes in its Best Food Logistics division, which supplies to the hospitality and eating out sector but stated that core retail and catering saw a “strong performance” with a 0.9% and 2.1% uplift in like-for-like sales respectively.

It stated: “Whilst the independent convenience sector is seeing some trading softness, Booker’s symbol brands performed strongly, supported by our targeted promotional plans and improvements in availability. Booker retail customer satisfaction continued to improve, with gains year-on-year.”

Tesco’s overall group like-for-like sales were up 3.1% (4% in the UK), while adjusted operating profit grow 10.9% year-on-year. It attributed the sales growth to “a strong contribution from higher volumes and improved category mix, supported by our continued investments in value, quality and service”.

The Tesco Group opened 90 stores over the year, which includes 64 in the UK, 12 in the Republic of Ireland and 14 in Central Europe. A further 463 stores across the group including 100 large stores and 245 convenience stores in the UK. It integrated a further 566 net new Booker retail partners, taking the total outlets to just under 8,000.

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