Clas Ohlson sales development in September 2012

Sales rose 6% in September to SEK 523 M (495). In local currencies, sales increased 7%. Compared with the same month in 2011, 15 stores have been added and the total number of stores on September 30 2012 was 163. Mail order/Internet sales during the month was SEK 11 M (9).

Sales channels (SEK M):

                                                         Percentage             Percentage change,
Countries                                             change:                       local currency:

Sweden                241 (225)                    + 7%                                    +  7%

Norway                 213 (207)                   +  3%                                    +  6%

Finland                    46   (41)                  + 13%                                  + 21%

UK                           22   (22)                   +  4%                                   +  3%

Total sales during the first five months (May-September 2012) increased by 4% to SEK 2,514 M (2,409).

The Q2-report for 2012/13 will be published on 12 December 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

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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