The Delhaize group has seen its fourth-quarter net profit jump a better-than-expected 30.5% to E149m, from E114m in the previous year, helped by growing demand for its own-brand products and the effects of a stronger US dollar. Operating profit was up 18.8% year-on-year to E288.7m, and it had earlier announced that sales rose by 15.8% to E5.4bn.

The company, which earns over two-thirds of its revenue in the US, has been one of the few multi-national chains to benefit from the strength of the US dollar, which helped boosts its figures. Delhaize noted that it also benefitted from an extra reporting week in the fourth quarter this year. The results beat the company's guidance range, and CEO Pierre-Olivier Beckers said this was due to "increased private brand sales, continued efficiencies and disciplined cost management".

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