In the 28 weeks to 12 September 2026, Sainsbury’s sales from continuing operations, excluding fuel, rose by 2.6% to £14.0bn. However, sales in Sainsbury’s general merchandise and clothing departments fell by 3.4% to £0.8bn.
The supermarket says this was driven by ongoing space reductions and a “subdued” clothing market in the UK. Tu Clothing, the retailer’s fashion brand, saw its sales fall 2% in H1 FY26/27, amid “tough comparatives” and market softness.
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However, Sainsbury’s also reported an 8% increase in back-to-school sales with its “best-ever” performance in the category.
The supermarket claims Tu outperformed the UK’s clothing market overall, as it completed the roll-out of RFID for clothing which has improved stock accuracy, product availability and efficiency.
Sainsbury’s chief executive Simon Roberts commented: “We know many households are finding things tough at the moment and we’re making it easier for customers to enjoy good food every day, whatever their budget. That’s why more people are choosing us for their weekly shop, driving continued volume growth in the first half.”
In H1 FY26/27, Sainsbury’s underlying operating profit from continuing operations increased 3.6% to £525m, driven by volume growth, ongoing cost savings, and investment in product value, quality, and service.
Sainsbury’s adjusted its underlying profit guidance for the FY26/27 to a range of £1.03bn to £1.07bn from continuing operations, raising the lower end of its previous expectations.
Sainsbury’s reiterated it remains on course to achieve more than £500m in free cash flow for the year.
“Looking to the second half, we expect the market to remain very competitive and we will make deliberate, balanced choices to sustain the strength of our offer, investing in value, quality, availability and service,” the company said in a statement.
