Interim Report 1 December 1999 - 31 August 2000

INTERIM REPORT 1 December 1999 - 31 August 2000 The period in brief: * Group turnover for the nine months period amounted to SEK 25,428 M (SEK 23,549 M), an increase of 8 per cent compared with the same period last year. In comparable currencies 13 per cent. * Profit after financial items was SEK 2,613 M (SEK 3,209 M), a decrease of 19 per cent compared with the same period last year, mainly due to price reductions, larger than usual, of SEK 375 M. * Turnover for the third quarter amounted to SEK 8,186 M (SEK 7,866 M), an increase of 4 per cent (in comparable currencies 7 per cent) compared with the third quarter 1999. Profit after financial items was SEK 800 M (SEK 1,160 M). * Measures to reduce costs have had an effect during the third quarter. Operating expenditures will be reduced by SEK 500 M on an annual basis. * The balance of the assortment mix - the relation between very high and basic fashion - has been corrected. * Customer response in the USA continues to exceeded expectation. * The autumn collection has been well received. Q4 sales has started well. ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by BIT http://www.bit.se The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/09/19/20000919BIT00570/bit0001.doc The full report http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/09/19/20000919BIT00570/bit0002.pdf The full report