London/Paris, March 12 - Europe's retailers are cutting costs in a bid to offer the lowest prices to recession-hit shoppers without damaging their profits, results from three major supermarket groups showed on Thursday.
France's Carrefour announced the boldest action as new Chief Executive Lars Olofsson set out his initial plans to drive a recovery after two profit warnings in 2008.
The world's No.2 retailer said it would spend 600 million euros ($767 million) to make it more competitive and make cost savings of 500 million, as well as limiting capital spending to 2.5 billion against 2.9 billion in 2008.
Belgium's Delhaize, which makes about 70 percent of sales in the United States, said it planned 100 million euros of cost savings as it beat full-year profit forecasts, helped by its focus on low prices.
Britain's Wm Morrison Supermarkets also benefited from its focus on budget shopping and existing cost-cutting drive, and beat full-year profit expectations.
It scrapped plans to return 500 million pounds ($692 million) to shareholders, saying it would use the money to take advantage of sliding property prices to open more stores.
At 0937 GMT, Delhaize shares were up 6.7 percent at 47.73 euros, while Carrefour was up 1.9 percent at 25.17 euros and Morrison up 1.5 percent at 249.50 pence -- all outperforming a 0.2 percent fall on the DJ Stoxx European retail index.
Retailers across the world are struggling as shoppers cut spending in a deepening economic recession. Supermarkets have fared better than most thanks to their focus on low prices and essential items, while sellers of discretionary and dearer items have been hit harder.
Britain's Home Retail reported a 10.2 percent plunge in underlying sales at its Homebase do-it-yourself chain for the 8 weeks to Feb 28.
A 1.6 percent fall at its Argos general merchandise chain was better than analysts had feared, but the firm warned of an "extremely challenging" year ahead.
Swatch Group, the world's largest watchmaker, posted a 17 percent drop in 2008 net profit to 838 million Swiss francs ($724 million).
At 0937 GMT, Home Retail shares were down 5.78 percent at 190 pence. Swatch was down 5.4 percent at 128 Swiss francs.
CHALLENGING TIMES
Carrefour was one of the weakest performing supermarket groups in 2008, hit by its exposure to non-food items, which have seen a bigger drop in demand than groceries, weakness in western European markets and competition from discounters.
It reported a 0.3 percent rise in 2008 operating profit to 3.30 billion euros, below the average forecast of 3.37 billion in a Reuters Estimates poll of 24 analysts.
"In a trading environment that remains challenging, we will focus on boosting our sales dynamics while improving our organisation and reducing our costs," Olofsson said.
Carrefour, which employs around 490,000 people in over 15,000 stores in 30 countries, joined a string of major companies in giving no financial guidance for 2009 because of the uncertain economic environment.
Credit Suisse analysts said the commitment to cost savings and cutting prices were positive, but were concerned profit margins could fall further in 2009.
Delhaize, which employs around 138,000 people in over 2,500 stores across seven countries, said operating profit before one-off items rose 3.4 percent at constant exchange rates to 904.1 million euros, beating its guidance of up to 3 percent.
The firm, whose U.S. chains include Food Lion, Hannaford and Sweetbay, forecast operating profit growth of up to 3 percent for 2009 at constant exchange rates.
"Our competitive prices and innovative solutions should allow us to remain the brands of choice for the customer in these challenging economic times," Chief Executive Pierre-Olivier Beckers said.
Morrison, Britain's fourth-biggest supermarket group, said profit before tax and one-off items rose 13 percent to 637 million pounds in the year ended Feb. 1, topping analysts' average forecast of 627 million in a company poll.
Chief Executive Marc Bolland told the reporters the group had identified over 100 sites into which it could expand. ($1=.7226 pounds) ($1=1.158 Swiss Francs) ($1=.7826 euros)