(Reuters) – Australia’s second-largest supermarket chain Coles Group on Tuesday reported a 2% drop in first-half profit, as pandemic-induced costs offset earnings from consumers stocking up on essentials during Omicron-driven COVID-19 lockdowns.
The company, which operates more than 800 stores in Australia, said half-year net profit after tax was A$549 million ($394.84 million), compared with A$560 million a year ago.
($1 = 1.3904 Australian dollars)
(Reporting by Harish Sridharan and Shashwat Awasthi; Editing by Howard Goller)
