Like-for-like sales advanced 4.2 per cent in the period, a trading update provided exclusively to Retail Week revealed.
The update demonstrated an improvement in performance after accounts filed at Companies House last week showed its operating profit declined almost 20 per cent to£20.3 million last year. Superdrug's total sales in 2005 edged up just 1 per cent to£998.8 million.
Superdrug reported: 'The underlying operating profit reflected the difficult and competitive high street trading conditions that were prevalent last year, although gross margins were improved.'
The accounts also showed Superdrug's retained profit increased fivefold to£51 million after a one-off£60 million exceptional item, resulting from the sale of intellectual property to another company controlled by its parent, AS Watson.
Superdrug has opened 16 outlets so far this year and, compared with a target of 30, more than 40 are likely to open by the end of the year.
The health and beauty retail landscape is undergoing seismic change after the merger last month of Boots and Alliance UniChem.
Retail Knowledge Bank senior partner Robert Clark said: 'Superdrug suffered - like many other retailers - last year, because of falling prices and rising costs of rates, rents and distribution.
'Superdrug lost share [in 2005] to supermarkets and a reviving Boots. The three-month results are a snapshot and must be sustained to show it has worked.'
Clark added: 'Historically, under its various owners, Superdrug has cosily sat behind Boots. AS Watson has scope to bring Superdrug into its global operation and sharpen up its act relative to Boots.'
Superdrug managing director Euan Sutherland said the business is healthy. He argued that the Companies House figures did not fully reflect the profit outlook and said that an EBIT measurement for the same period showed a 17 per cent uplift.
The retailer also revealed that it spent£28 million last year to revamp its 730-strong portfolio.
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