Tesco is planning to open more than 40 stores in Central Europe this year.
The retailer, which currently operates about 194 stores across Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary, looks set to grow this number to around 234.

Analysts agree that Tesco must continue to look outside the UK market to continue to drive growth. Tomorrow it is expected to reveal pre-tax profits of more than £2bn, however Tesco announced in January that underlying sales in the UK would slow because of tougher trading conditions.

16 of the new stores are expected to open in Hungary, bringing the total number of Tesco stores in the country to 85.

Meanwhile Tesco has received criticism from charity ActionAid over the working conditions of people working for its suppliers in Africa. The charity claimed that South African women working to supply fruit to Tesco were living in dreadful conditions and received poverty from the suppliers.

A spokesman for Tesco said it was wrong to directly link importers with the issue of poor standards for temporary workers.

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