The world's third largest grocery retailer is based in the UK and has international operations in China, the Czech Republic, Hungary, India, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Poland, Slovakia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey and the US. It has over 6,200 stores worldwide and employs over half a million people. Since 2001 sales have risen from GBP 22.6 billion to GBP 72 billion, with profits rising to over GBP 3.7 billion in 2011-12.