Woolworths’ petroleum retail sales rise by 2.8%

Australian supermarket operator Woolworths’ petroleum retailing operations recorded total sales volume of 2.486 billion liters for the 27 weeks to January 3, 2010, up 2.8% from 2.418 billion liters in the corresponding period a year earlier. Comparable sales volumes from on-going operations were 0.9% higher for the period, which is the first half of the 2009-2010 fiscal year, the company said. Sales growth in the second quarter was slightly negative, at 2% compared with 3.6% in the first quarter, reflecting the anniversary of the decline in fuel prices in the previous year, Woolworths’ said. (January 26, 2010)