Tesco, the UK's largest retailer, will embark on a major UK store opening programme in the next six months as it looks to extend its lead in the cut-throat supermarket wars.
Tesco will open 1.7m square foot of new space in the UK in the second half of its financial year.
This space is equivalent to around 16pc of rival Wm Morrison's entire store base. In the first half of its year, Tesco opened just 0.4m square feet.
The results will be Sir Terry Leahy's final results as Tesco's chief executive. He will step down from the company next March having run the retailer since 1997.
Analysts expect Tesco to also discuss plans to carry out more "sale and leasebacks" on its existing freehold property portfolio. In recent years Tesco has carried out sale and leaseback deals worth £5bn, under which it sells freehold stores to third parties then leases them back.
Sunday Telegraph, business, p3