Big C, the Thailand-based hypermarket operator owned by French retailer Casino, has reported a 10 per cent increase in net profit for the second quarter of 2008.
Net profit for the period was pegged at US$18m (THB599m), significantly lower than the forecast of US$19.7m (THB659m predicted by four analysts polled by Reuters.
The group attributed the rise in quarterly profit to a rise in sales that had outpaced higher costs.
The results marked a year-on-year improvement improvement, with net profit reaching US$16.3m (THB545m) in 2007, although 2006 saw second quarter net profit of US$22.9m (THB767m).
