Coles profit hit by underpayment scandal

Coles Group (ASX:COL) reported a 14% increase in full-year profit to A$1.26 billion for the year ended June, driven by robust supermarket earnings and cost management, despite a decline in the liquor segment. The underlying net profit rose from A$1.10 billion a year earlier, while group EBIT excluding significant items increased by 9.9% to A$2.322 billion.

Supermarkets were the primary growth driver, with sales up 3.7% to A$41.47 billion. EBIT margin in supermarkets expanded by 43 basis points to 5.7%, and e-commerce sales surged 26.4% to A$5.6 billion. However, liquor sales declined by 3.3% with EBIT dropping by 47.8% to A$59 million, indicating the segment's ongoing challenges. Coles is implementing a multi-year plan to integrate food and drink offerings, optimize its store network, and streamline operations.

For FY27, sales growth in the first eight weeks was in line with the fourth quarter, and e-commerce penetration reached 15.7%. The company plans to invest approximately A$190 million to establish a new capability center and expects to achieve more than A$100 million in annualized benefits by FY29.