THE Co-operative Group has announced record annual results.

Sales in the 12 months to January 2 were 31% ahead at £13.7bn and pre-tax profits soared from £115.9m to £294.8m, boosted by the acquisition of the Somerfield supermarket group, making it the fifth biggest food retailer in the UK.

The group includes food, financial, travel, pharmacy and funeral care operations.

It employs 742 staff at two call centres located in Skelmersdale handling financial services inquiries.

Chief executive Peter Marks said: “These are record results in what has been an historic year for the Co-operative group.

“We now run almost 3,000 community food stores and we have a store in every single postal area in the UK bar one and each week we serve 21m customers.”

The banking side is renowned for its ethical policies and Mr Marks added: “Our financial services business has continued to flourish in spite of the global recession, taking us closer to our vision of being the UK’s most admired financial services provider.”

But he said they must continue to work hard as economic pressures are expected to continue until the end of the year or the first half of 2011.