Kesko's 2007 sales increased by 9.0%

KESKO CORPORATION STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE 14.01.2008 AT 11.00 1(2)

 

 

Kesko Food's sales increase was 6.7% in December. During the week before Christmas, several K-food stores broke their retail sales records. Sales grew strongly both in the grocery, and home and speciality goods trade.

 

Rautakesko's sales in December grew by 8.1% and were €170.1 million. Sales in Finland were at the level of the previous year (+0.3%). Abroad, sales increased by 11.4%. Sales growth in the Baltic countries was 17.4% and 33.9% in Russia.

 

VV-Auto's sales in December were €31.7 million, which is down by 19.4% on the previous year. In Finland, the number of first registrations of passenger cars decreased by 63.3% in December. The market share of passenger cars represented by VV-Auto was 16.1% (12.0%). The amendment of the Car Tax Act, passed by the Parliament on 12 December 2007, postponed a significant number of passenger car deliveries to customers to 2008.

 

Anttila's Christmas sales grew markedly on the previous year. The sales in December were €88.5 million, an increase of 4.6%. The sales of the Kodin Ykkönen department stores were up by 8.6% and those of the Anttila department stores by 3.2%. NetAnttila's online and catalogue sales in Finland were up by 5.6%.

 

Kesko Agro's sales in December were €67.3 million, down 5.5%. Sales in Finland increased by 5.5%, which is attributable to the tractor and grain trade. In the Baltic countries, sales dropped by 20.7% as a result of the decrease in the grain and animal feed and chemicals trade.

 

 

	December	2007	1.1. -	31.12.2007
	€ million	Change, %	€ million	Change, %
Kesko Food, Finland	381.6	6.6	3,904.0	7.3
Kesko Food, other countries	1.6	21.8	16.9	3.3
Kesko Food, total	383.2	6.7	3,920.9	7.3
Rautakesko, Finland	47.3	0.3	943.7	10.7
Rautakesko, other countries	122.8	11.4	1,636.4	24.5
Rautakesko, total	170.1	8.1	2,580.1	19.1
VV-Auto, Finland	30.7	-18.7	794.5	1.0
VV-Auto, other countries	0.8	-38.5	25.8	27.1
VV-Auto, total	31.7	-19.4	820.3	1.7
Anttila, Finland	87.8	5.5	546.3	3.6
Anttila, other countries	0.7	-49.4	19.3	-5.7
Anttila, total	88.5	4.6	565.6	3.3
Kesko Agro, Finland	43.6	5.5	502.0	3.7
Kesko Agro, other countries	23.7	-20.7	295.9	7.8
Kesko Agro, total	67.3	-5.5	797.9	5.2
Other operating activities, Finland	61.2	-7.9	819.4	3.8
Other operating activities, other countries	14.4	-11.9	191.8	13.0
Other operating activities, total	75.6	-8.7	1,011.2	5.4
Common operations and eliminations	-2.5		-35.9
Finland, total	650.2	2.6	7,483.0	6.1
Other countries, total	163.7	3.2	2,177.1	20.5
Grand total	813.9	2.7	9,660.1	9.0

 

Other operating activities consist of Konekesko, Intersport Finland, Indoor Group, Musta Pörssi, Kenkäkesko, Tähti Optikko Group and Kauko-Telko.

 

Starting from 1 March 2006, VV-Auto's sales figures include the sales of the new Volkswagen and Audi retail outlets acquired.

 

Kesko is looking into opportunities to dispose of Kauko-Telko. Kauko-Telko will be classified as a discontinuing operation in compliance with the IFRS 5 when it meets the criteria of the standard.

 

Rautakesko's sales figures include the sales of the Belorussian OMA, a subsidiary of Rautakesko's subsidiary Senukai, with effect from July.

 

Change, % indicates the change over the corresponding period of the previous year.

 

In December 2007, the number of trading days in Kesko's wholesale was 17, which was one less than in December 2006. The total number of trading days was the same as in the previous year.

 

Kesko publishes advance information about the K-Group's retail sales quarterly, in connection with the interim financial reports.

 

Further information is available from Jukka Erlund, Vice President, Corporate Controller, tel. +358 1053 22338.

 

 

Kesko Corporation

 

 

 

Paavo Moilanen
Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications

 

 

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