Other operating expenses

Other operating expenses decreased to CHF 202.5 million (previous year: CHF 207.3 million). Again disreg­arding the effects of changes to the group of consolidated companies in the amount of CHF 3.5 million, other operating expenses would have remained stable year on year.

Distribution and sales expenses fell by CHF 4.4 per cent to CHF 82.3 million. The expenses for advertising and public relations amount to CHF 58.0 million and are therefore CHF 9.1 million more than the previous year, when the level was unusually low. Expenditure on rent, lease payments and licences is largely unchanged from the previous year. It covers expenses for short-term leases with terms of less than one year and for low-value underlying assets to which IFRS 16 exceptions apply (see Note 32) and also rent, lease payments and licences not covered under IFRS 16. General operating expenses include, among other things, expenditure for purchases and repairs, expenditure on consultancy, general administrative expenditure, expenses incurred by people travelling on behalf of and representing the Group and other operating expenditure. The increase on the previous year is spread across a range of the above expenditure items. The loss from asset disposals is CHF 2.2 million (previous year: CHF 0.8 million) and primarily includes the derecognition of capitalised costs for IT software decommissioned before the end of the depreciation period. Impairments on financial assets amount to CHF 0.4 million, with the reduction on the previous year mainly due to the specific valuation allowances for receivables due from Publicitas recognised in 2020.