COOP Switzerland 2006 net profit rise

Coop Switzerland has reported a net profit of CHF310 million (USD247.2 million) for 2006, up from CHF270 million (USD216.7 million) in 2005, so breaking the negative trend from the past two years. Operating profit rose to CHF553 million (USD441.1 million) from CHF348 million (USD279.4 million), whilst sales rose by 4.7% to CHF15.6 billion (USD12.4 billion). The retailer invested a total of CHF270 million (USD215.3 million) in 2006, achieving 1.8% lower prices on average.