SUPERVALU Inc. (NYSE: SVU), Minneapolis, MN, reported sales for the first quarter of fiscal 2014 ended June 15, 2013, of $5.2 billion, a decrease of 1.5 percent compared to the same period in fiscal 2013. Profit more than doubled to $85 million. 

First-quarter independent business sales were $2.5 billion, a decrease of 0.6 percent. Operating earnings were $55 million and included $14 million in pre-tax costs and charges primarily related to employee severance. Excluding these costs and charges, operating earnings in the first quarter were $69 million, 1.5 percent higher than fiscal 2013 levels. 

First-quarter Save-A-Lot sales were $1.3 billion, a decrease of 1.6 percent compared to the same period a year earlier. Save-A-Lot operating earnings in the quarter were $52 million and included $5 million in pre-tax asset impairment charges and employee severance costs. Excluding these charges and costs, Save-A-Lot operating earnings were $57 million, 3.4 percent below the same period a year ago. 

First-quarter retail food sales were $1.4 billion, a 4 percent decrease compared to the prior year. Operating earnings were $25 million and included $18 million in pre-tax employee severance costs, vendor contract breakage costs and asset impairment charges. Excluding these costs and charges, Retail Food operating earnings were $43 million, compared to $9 million in the same period in fiscal 2013; the improvement was driven by the benefit from the company’s cost cutting initiatives and lower depreciation expense.