• Australian Food sales up 5.9% with Woolworths Food Retail sales up 7.3% (ex. Tobacco)
• New Zealand Food sales increased by 1.4% (Easter adjusted: 2.1%) in a slower market
• BIG W sales up 3.9% (Easter adjusted: 1.1%); quality of sales remains strong

Woolworths Group Ltd reported strong third quarter sales growth of 4.5%, driven by a 5.9% increase in Australian Food sales. Woolworths Food Retail sales, excluding Tobacco, grew 7.3%, led by strong eCommerce performance. New Zealand Food sales increased by 1.4% (Easter adjusted: 2.1%) in a slower market, while BIG W sales grew 3.9% (Easter adjusted: 1.1%) with the quality of sales remaining strong. The company noted that customer scores remained above the prior year but declined compared to Q2, reflecting seasonal trends, a rapid reduction in consumer confidence, and some operational disruptions. Woolworths CEO Amanda Bardwell said the conflict in the Middle East is creating greater uncertainty for customers, suppliers, and the team, at a time when cost-of-living pressures are already acute. The company has mobilized to respond to this environment and is engaging with the government on their response plans. Fundamental to the company's plans is a Group-wide commitment to becoming a more efficient and resilient business, which will enable continued investment in lower prices, better experiences, and greater convenience for customers.

Reported F26 Australian Food EBIT growth is still expected to be in the mid to high single digit range but no longer at the upper end of the range, reflecting incremental costs associated with direct fuel exposures in Q4 and investments to support customers in managing their budgets. New Zealand Food's H2 F26 EBIT (NZD) is expected to be modestly below H2 F25, but F26 EBIT (NZD) is still expected to be above F25.

It is still too early to predict with any certainty the direct and indirect impacts on F27 from the conflict in the Middle East and how this will impact customer shopping behaviours. The Group will provide a further update at its F26 full year results in August.