("Asda Stores Total Sales, Excluding Acquisitions, VAT, Fuel, +7.1%," at 1140 GMT, misstated the period in the first paragraph, and the exclusions in the sixth bullet point. The correct version follows:) LONDON -(Dow Jones)- ASDA Stores, a British supermarket and subsidiary of Wal-Mart, said Thursday like for like sales for the 12 weeks from Jan 8. to March 31 rose 2.2%. MAIN FACTS: -Like for like 1Q sales, including the additional leap year day increased 5% excluding acquisitions, VAT and fuel. -Like for like 1Q customer numbers up 2.9% with basket spend up 2.1%. -Total sales, excluding acquisitions, VAT and fuel, grew by 7.1 per cent -U.K.'s gross profit rate, excluding acquisitions, relatively flat compared to the previous year. -Online business sales growth in the U.K. 19.2 per cent. -Asda's LFL for the 12 weeks to March 31, excluding both the final week of Christmas and New Year trading and the benefit of an additional day in the quarter due to the leap year, was 2.2 per cent. -By Mark Shapland, Dow Jones Newswires; +44 207 8429358; mark.shapland@dowjones.com
