Clas Ohlson sales development in December

Sales rose 4% in December to SEK 876 M (841). In local currencies, sales increased 9%. Compared with the same month in 2009, 20 stores have been added and the total number of stores on December 31 2010 was 136. Mail order/Internet sales during the month was SEK 12 M (11).

Sales channels (SEK M):

                                                         Percentage             Percentage change,

Countries                                          change:                  local currency:

Sweden                416  (404)                     + 3%                  + 3%

Norway                346  (331)                     + 5%                + 13%

Finland                  72    (80)                    - 10%                  + 4%

UK                         42    (26)                   + 62%                + 75%

Total sales during the first eight months (May-December 2010) increased by 5% to SEK 4 227 M (4 040).

The interim report for the third quarter for 2010/11 will be published on March 9 2011.

For more information please contact:

Klas Balkow, CEO and President: +46 (0)247-447 55

John Womack, Director Information & IR: +46 (0)247-444 05

Clas Ohlson AB is a Swedish chain store that sells, amongst other things, hardware, electrical, multimedia, and home and leisure products. It is the largest hardware chain in Scandinavia. The company was founded in 1918 by the technically-minded Clas Ohlson (1895–1979), as a mail order business based in the Swedish village of Insjön, Dalarna. Initially, only manuals and technical literature were sold. He opened his first shop in Insjön in 1926 and there are now stores throughout Sweden, as well as in Norway and Finland. In 2008, the company opened its first store in the United Kingdom, in Croydon, south London. There are now stores at the Arndale Centre in Manchester, at The Harlequin in Watford, in Kingston upon Thames, Reading, Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham, Cardiff, Doncaster and Norwich.

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