Tesco predicts a low-alcohol ‘healthier’ Christmas

First-half sales rise 2% to £33.8bn, helped by strong trade online, as retailer says it is making more delivery slots available Supermarket shake-up: why Asda or Morrisons could vanish Tesco has raised its profit outlook as it expects households to splash out this Christmas – despite buying less alcohol – as they shrug off “uncertainty” over the Iran war. The UK’s biggest grocer said sales rose just 2% to £33.8bn

Sarah Butler October 8, 2026 · 9:52 AM 1 MIN READ

First-half sales rise 2% to £33.8bn, helped by strong trade online, as retailer says it is making more delivery slots available

Supermarket shake-up: why Asda or Morrisons could vanish

Tesco has raised its profit outlook as it expects households to splash out this Christmas – despite buying less alcohol – as they shrug off “uncertainty” over the Iran war.

The UK’s biggest grocer said sales rose just 2% to £33.8bn in the 26 weeks to 29 August, but underlying profit was up 6.5% to £1.8bn.