Owner of Primark, Associated British Foods announced that the budget fashion retailer’s sales are expected to be 13% ahead of last year. Aided by a 1% growth in like-for-like sales and a rise in retail selling space, Primark sales are expected to be 10% ahead of last year. Easter trading in the UK was particularly strong against the previous year, with the retailer benefitting from comparison with an earlier Easter holiday plagued by poor weather. In a statement the company said, “In our third quarter trading update on 6 July we reported an improvement in our expectation for the group's full year underlying operating performance as a result of a stronger profit delivery from Primark.”