Kesko’s comparable sales grew in December
Kesko Group's sales totalled €850.0 million in December 2017, an increase of 0.7% in comparable terms. Reported total sales decreased by 7.5%.
”Kesko’s comparable sales grew in December thanks to good sales development in the grocery trade, affected by our active measures to redesign the stores and their selections. I am particularly pleased with the successful Christmas sales of K-Citymarkets and the good performance of new stores in the Greater Helsinki region. In the building and technical trade, sales weakened because the month had two less delivery days than the year before,” says Kesko’s President and CEO Mikko Helander.
Sales in the grocery trade totalled €508.1 million in December, an increase of 3.3% in comparable terms. Sales grew in all chains. The reported sales for December decreased by 1.3%, affected by changes in the former Suomen Lähikauppa store site network and by the divestment of the business in Russia the previous year.
Sales in the building and technical trade totalled €281.1 million in December, a decrease of 1.3% in comparable terms in local currencies. There were two delivery days less than the year before. Sales in the building and technical trade excluding the speciality goods trade grew by 0.4% in local currencies: sales in Finland decreased by 4.1%, while sales in other countries grew by 3.5%. Sales in the speciality goods' leisure trade increased by 10.5% in Finland, while sales in the machinery trade decreased by 44.8%. The reported sales in the building and technical trade decreased by 16.4%, 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 €60.5 million in December, a decrease of 9.7%. The market share of first registrations of passenger cars represented by VV-Auto was higher in December than earlier in the year, but did not meet the very strong level of the comparison period.
Kesko Group's sales in euros, excluding VAT, in December 2017:
| December 2017 | Comparable | ||
| € million | Change, % | change, % | |
| Grocery trade, total | 508.1 | -1.3 | +3.3 |
| Building and technical trade, Finland | 120.2 | -30.4 | -6.6 |
| Building and technical trade, other countries | 160.9 | -1.6 | +2.9 |
| Building and technical trade, total | 281.1 | -16.4 | -1.3 |
| Car trade, total | 60.5 | -9.7 | -9.7 |
| Common functions and eliminations | 0.3 | ||
| Grand total | 850.0 | -7.5 | +0.7 |
| Finland, total | 689.1 | -8.6 | +0.1 |
| Other countries, total | 160.9 | -2.2 | +2.9 |
| Grand total | 850.0 | -7.5 | +0.7 |
Kesko Group's sales in euros, excluding VAT, in October-December 2017:
| 01/10/17-31/12/17 | Comparable | ||
| € million | Change, % | change, % | |
| Grocery trade, total | 1,414.0 | -1.5 | +5.1 |
| Building and technical trade, Finland | 463.4 | -21.6 | +0.2 |
| Building and technical trade, other countries | 564.4 | +0.7 | +3.4 |
| Building and technical trade, total | 1,027.8 | -10.7 | +2.0 |
| Car trade, total | 221.9 | -0.8 | -4.7 |
| Common functions and eliminations | 0.6 | ||
| Grand total | 2,664.2 | -5.2 | +2.9 |
| Finland, total | 2,099.8 | -5.8 | +2.7 |
| Other countries, total | 564.4 | -3.2 | +3.4 |
| Grand total | 2,664.2 | -5.2 | +2.9 |
Kesko Group's sales in euros, excluding VAT, in January-December 2017:
| 01/01/17-31/12/17 | Comparable | ||
| € million | Change, % | change, % | |
| Grocery trade, total | 5,334.6 | +0.9 | +2.4 |
| Building and technical trade, Finland | 2,242.2 | +2.3 | +0.9 |
| Building and technical trade, other countries | 2,367.0 | +17.4 | +1.1 |
| Building and technical trade, total | 4,609.2 | +9.5 | +1.0 |
| Car trade, total | 930.3 | +7.2 | +1.2 |
| Common functions and eliminations | -1.5 | ||
| Grand total | 10,872.6 | +5.0 | +1.7 |
| Finland, total | 8,505.6 | +3.2 | +1.9 |
| Other countries, total | 2,367.0 | +11.6 | +1.1 |
| Grand total | 10,872.6 | +5.0 | +1.7 |
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, and which have belonged to the network in both years, in the sales. The comparable change % in the building and technical trade as well as the car trade has been calculated in local currencies and excluding the impact of acquisitions and divestments.
In December 2017, the number of Kesko's wholesale selling days in Finland was 18, which is two days less than the year before. In October-December 2017, there were 62 selling days, which is one day less than the year before. In January-December 2017, the number of Kesko's wholesale selling days in Finland was two less than the year before.
In connection with interim reports, Kesko publishes advance information on K Group's retail sales quarterly.
Further information is available from Vice President, Group Controller Eva Kaukinen, tel. +358 105 322 338.
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