Helsinki, 2017-Aug-15 — /EPR Retail News/ — Kesko Group’s sales totalled €856.3 million in July 2017, an increase of 2.7% in comparable terms. Excluding business arrangements the reported sales decreased by 4.2%.
“In comparable terms Kesko’s sales grew in July in all divisions. Sales growth was strongest in the car trade, an increase of over 10%. Sales in the grocery trade grew especially in K-Citymarkets and in the renewed K-Markets. In the building and technical trade sales grew especially in B2B trade,” says Kesko’s President and CEO Mikko Helander.
Sales in the grocery trade totalled €423.1 million in July, an increase of 1.5% in comparable terms. The comparable sales grew in all chains. The reported sales decreased by 5.4% and was impacted by the changes in store site network of Suomen Lähikauppa and transferring stores to retailers, as well as the divestment of grocery trade business in Russia in the previous year.
Sales in the building and technical trade totalled €362.7 million in July, an increase of 2.6% in comparable terms in local currencies. Comparable sales in Finland grew by 4.6% and abroad by 1.1%. Sales in the building and technical trade, excluding the speciality goods trade, grew by 6.3% in local currencies. Sales in the speciality goods leisure trade decreased by 0.3% in Finland and sales in the machinery trade decreased by 23.8%. The reported sales in building and technical trade decreased by 7.0% and it was impacted by the divestment of K-maatalous business and the furniture trade in the second quarter.
Car trade sales in July totalled €69.9 million, a growth of 10.9% in comparable terms. The reported sales grew by 24.3% including the acquisition of AutoCarrera.
Change, % indicates the change when compared to the corresponding period of the previous year. The comparable change % has been calculated for the grocery trade by including those stores formerly belonging to Suomen Lähikauppa, and which have belonged to the network in both years, in the sales. The comparable change % in the building and technical trade as well as the car trade has been calculated in local currencies and excludes the impact of acquisitions and divestments.
In July 2017, the number of Kesko’s wholesale selling days in Finland was 21, which was the same as the previous year. From 1 January to 31 July 2017, Kesko’s wholesale selling days in Finland were equivalent to the previous year.
In connection with interim reports, Kesko publishes advance information on K Group’s retail sales quarterly.
Further information is available from Vice President, Group Controller Eva Kaukinen, tel. +358 105 322 338.
Source: Kesko Corporation