MARGINS
The average UK grocery retailing operating margin across the top nine food retailers in 2003/4 was 4.9%. In the mid-1990s, it was more than 6%.

NEW SPACE
Tesco accounted for more than half of new space opened by the top nine food retailers in the last five years. It also opened more than twice the amount of new space than Asda over the same period.

SALES PER SQUARE FOOT
At £22.48, Tesco has the highest sales per square foot in the sector followed by Asda at £21.00 (a 24.2% improvement over the last five years) and Morrisons at £19.77 (up 33%). Sainsbury was down 8.2% to £19.02.

FASTEST GROWING
Morrisons has seen the highest percentage growth of the leading supermarkets in UK turnover, operating profit and sales per square foot over the last five years.

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