Grocery group Rewe increased group-wide retail sales by 10.5 per cent to €49.8bn (£42.9bn) in 2008, it revealed this week, with EBITDA up 8.5 per cent to €1.34bn (£1.15bn).

It recorded growth both in its German home market and abroad, but contributions from overseas operations were particularly strong. Sales increases were partly due to new store openings – with the number of outlets growing by 15.7 per cent to 14,714 – but also a result of high food price inflation.

In Germany, sales climbed 7.4 per cent to €33.9bn (£29.22bn). In its 15 foreign markets, Rewe reported sales growth of 17.9 per cent to €15.9bn (£13.7bn).