STELLARTON – Empire Co. Ltd. says its first-quarter profit and sales rose compared with a year ago.

The grocery retailer, which operates Sobeys, Safeway and other banners, says it earned a profit attributable to owners of the company of $212 million or 91 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Aug. 2.

The result was up from a profit of $208 million or 86 cents per diluted share a year ago.

Sales for the quarter totalled $8.26 billion, up from $8.14 billion in the same quarter last year.

Same-store sales rose 0.8 per cent as same-store sales for fuel fell 13.4 per cent, driven by lower prices due to the removal of the government carbon tax. Food same-store sales rose 1.9 per cent.

On an adjusted basis, Empire says it earned 91 cents per diluted share in its latest quarter, up fr

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