Sainsbury’s said its efforts to help shoppers cope with tighter budgets were paying off after it reported a 6.6% rise in half-year profits today.

The supermarket, which revealed a surplus of £354m for the six months to October 1, increased total sales by 7.6% to £12.8bn as customer visits to its stores rose by nearly one million to almost 22 million a week.

It hailed the success of initiatives such as "Live Well for Less" and its "Feed your Family for £50" weekly meal planner and said recent investment in its food and clothing ranges was also paying off.

Chairman David Tyler said: "We are pleased with our sales and profit performance, given the challenging economic environment."