Switzerland's supermarket on the Internet, Le-Shop, is set to enter the German and Argentine markets later this year.

At a news conference in Zurich, the company said it was foreseeing a capital increase to support its expansion plans.

Company representatives said Le-Shop services would be available on the net in Argentina through a co-operation agreement with Alcampo, a Spanish online provider.

With its expansion abroad, Le-Shop will have more than 100 employees and expects turnover to reach SFr12 million this year (1998 SFr4 million). Its offer includes some 3,500 brand-name products.

In August last year, Switzerland's leading listed company in the food trade, the Bon appétit group, took a 33.3 per cent stake in Le-Shop in a move aimed at the rapid expansion of e-commerce in Switzerland. It now has a 39 per cent stake.

Surveys have shown that in Swiss households, women still have prime responsibility for regular food purchases. Le-Shop's customer base has changed radically since it was founded in 1998, with the proportion of women customers growing from 16 to 60 per cent.

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