Clas Ohlson sales development in March

Sales rose 8% in March to SEK 433 M (399). In local currencies, sales increased 7%. Compared with the same month in 2011, 16 stores have been added and the total number of stores on March 31 2012 was 155. Mail order/Internet sales during the month was SEK 6 M (7).

Sales channels (SEK M):

                                                         Percentage             Percentage change,

Countries                                         change:                  local currency:

Sweden                199 (193)                       +3%                +3%

Norway               181 (160)                      +13%               +9%

Finland                  35  (30)                     +18%              +18%

UK                         18   (16)                       +8%               +4%

Total sales during the first eleven months (May 2011–March 2012) increased by 7% to SEK 5,848 M (5,446).

The Year-end report for financial year 2011/12 will be published on 13 June 2012.

For more information please contact:

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

John Womack, Director Information & IR: +46 (0)70-678 24 99

The information in this press release comprises information that Clas Ohlson AB (publ) is required to disclose pursuant to the Swedish Securities Market Act and/or the Swedish Financial Instruments Trading Act. The information was released for publication at 08:00 (CET) on Friday 13 April 2012.

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, Norwich and Newcastle.

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