Midcounties Co-operative Society has reported an 11% increase in trading profit to £12m on sales up 20% to £712m for the year to 31 January.
The figures were boosted by last year's purchase of Stars News Shops, Rusts and Chalfont Foodhalls. "We are very pleased with these results and we look forward to reporting more success next year," said CEO Ben Reid. "It has been a good year for the society but we are not complacent. As spending tightens we face real challenges in 2008."
Meanwhile, the society has launched a mobile shop for customers unable to visit its stores. The shop, which stocks fresh, chilled and frozen goods and household items, visits a housing scheme for elderly people every week.
"We knew a number of carers were coming to our store to shop for the residents and we realised it was not the best use of their time, so we decided to take the shop to them," said Mark Dawson, assistant store manager in Cowley near Oxford.
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