Discount retailer Dia’s gross sales rose 6.9% in the first half of 2012, to E5.75 billion (£4.57bn).

The retailer’s adjusted EBITDA reached E261m (£207.6m), up 5.2% on the same period last year. The performance was driven by the operations in Iberia as well as in Argentina and Brazil.

Despite a challenging economic context, gross sales in its Spanish home market improved by 6% in the first half of the year. At the end of June, the total number of stores reached 6,923, which is 459 more than a year ago.