SUPERMARKET group Sainsbury’s today posted a 5.4% rise in second quarter sales as it kept up the pressure on market leader Tesco.

The firm said it performed well in "what remains a challenging consumer environment" but it warned that growth would slow in the future as inflation eases.

Sainsbury’s said it now makes over 18.5 million transactions a week, up 800,000 year-on-year. The like-for-like sales growth for the 16 weeks to October 3 excludes fuel and VAT.