Kesko’s comparable sales grew in April
The sales of Kesko Group’s continuing operations in April 2018 totalled €849.9 million, representing an increase of 5.6% in comparable terms. The reported sales from continuing operations decreased by 3.9%. The number of wholesale selling days in Finland exceeded the figure from the year before by two.
”Kesko’s sales grew in comparable terms in April in the building and technical trade and in the car trade. Sales in the grocery trade were affected by the timing of Easter at the end of March/beginning of April,” says Mikko Helander, Kesko's President and CEO.
Sales in the grocery trade totalled €413.4 million in April, a decrease of 1.1% in comparable terms. Reported sales in April were down by 4.1%. The sales were affected by the timing of Easter, which fell at the end of March/beginning of April this year, while last year Easter was in April.
Sales in the building and technical trade totalled €354.2 million in April, an increase of 11.3% in comparable terms in local currencies. Comparable sales in the building and technical trade excluding the speciality goods trade grew by 10.6% in local currencies. Sales in Finland grew by 15.1% and sales elsewhere by 6.8%. Sales in the speciality goods' leisure trade increased by 38.8% in Finland, while sales in the machinery trade grew by 0.7% in comparable terms. The reported sales in the building and technical trade decreased by 7.7%, and were impacted by the divestment of the K-maatalous business and the furniture trade in the second quarter of 2017.
Sales in the car trade totalled €82.0 million in April, an increase of 17.1%.
Kesko Group's sales in euros, excluding VAT, in April 2018:
| April 2018 | Comparable | ||
| € million | Change, % | change, % | |
| Grocery trade, total | 413.4 | -4.1 | -1.1 |
| Building and technical trade, Finland | 178.7 | -15.0 | +17.3 |
| Building and technical trade, other countries | 175.5 | +1.2 | +6.0 |
| Building and technical trade, total | 354.2 | -7.7 | +11.3 |
| Car trade, total | 82.0 | +17.1 | +17.1 |
| Common functions and eliminations | 0.2 | ||
| Grand total | 849.9 | -3.9 | +5.6 |
| Finland, total | 674.4 | -5.2 | +5.5 |
| Other countries, total | 175.5 | +1.2 | +6.0 |
| Grand total | 849.9 | -3.9 | +5.6 |
Kesko Group's sales in euros, excluding VAT, in January-April 2018:
| 1.1.-30.4.2018 | Comparable | ||
| € million | Change, % | change, % | |
| Grocery trade, total | 1,702.1 | +1.0 | +5.2 |
| Building and technical trade, Finland | 638.2 | -22.9 | +3.2 |
| Building and technical trade, other countries | 618.9 | -6.0 | -1.4 |
| Building and technical trade, total | 1,257.1 | -15.4 | +0.8 |
| Car trade, total | 346.7 | +8.3 | +8.3 |
| Common functions and eliminations | 1.0 | ||
| Grand total | 3,306.9 | -5.3 | +3.8 |
| Finland, total | 2,688.0 | -5.1 | +5.2 |
| Other countries, total | 618.9 | -6.0 | -1.4 |
| Grand total | 3,306.9 | -5.3 | +3.8 |
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, which have belonged to the network in both years, in the sales. The comparable change % for the building and technical trade has been calculated in local currencies and excluding the impact of divestments made during 2017. On 16 February 2018, we announced we would be discontinuing our building and home improvement trade operations in Russia: these are reported as discontinued operations and are not included in the sales figures for continuing operations presented in this release.
In April 2018, the number of Kesko's wholesale selling days in Finland was 20, which is two days more than the year before. January-April 2018 had one more selling day than the corresponding period in 2017.
Kesko publishes advance information on K Group's retail sales quarterly in connection with interim reports.
Further information is available from Eva Kaukinen, Vice President, Group Controller, tel. +358 105 322 338.
Kesko Corporation
DISTRIBUTION
Main news media
www.kesko.fi