Kesko’s sales grew in August
The sales of Kesko Group’s continuing operations in August 2018 totalled €948.3 million, representing an increase of 4.9% in comparable terms. The reported sales from continuing operations increased by 3.3%.
“Kesko’s sales grew in all divisions in August. Sales growth continued strong in the grocery trade and in the car trade,” says Mikko Helander, Kesko’s President and CEO.
Sales in the grocery trade totalled €481.8 million in August, an increase of 7.7% in comparable terms. Sales grew in all chains. Reported sales in August grew by 4.6%.
Sales in the building and technical trade totalled €386.1 million in August, an increase of 0.6% in comparable terms in local currencies. Comparable sales in the building and technical trade excluding the speciality goods trade grew by 1.7% in local currencies. Sales in Finland grew by 4.4%, while sales elsewhere decreased by 0.5%. Sales in the speciality goods' leisure trade decreased by 2.4% in Finland, while sales in the machinery trade decreased by 15.6% in comparable terms. Reported sales in the building and technical trade were at the previous year's level.
Sales in the car trade totalled €80.5 million in August, an increase of 11.7%. The implementation of the new WLTP emissions testing in Europe at the beginning of September contributed to the increase in sales in August.
Kesko Group's sales in euros, excluding VAT, in August 2018:
| August 2018 | Comparable | ||
| € million | Change, % | change, % | |
| Grocery trade, total | 481.8 | +4.6 | +7.7 |
| Building and technical trade, Finland | 184.1 | +2.7 | +4.5 |
| Building and technical trade, other countries | 201.9 | -2.2 | -2.6 |
| Building and technical trade, total | 386.1 | +0.1 | +0.6 |
| Car trade, total | 80.5 | +11.7 | +11.7 |
| Common functions and eliminations | -0.1 | ||
| Grand total | 948.3 | +3.3 | +4.9 |
| Finland, total | 746.4 | +4.8 | +7.2 |
| Other countries. total | 201.9 | -2.2 | -2.6 |
| Grand total | 948.3 | +3.3 | +4.9 |
Kesko Group's sales in euros, excluding VAT, in January-August 2018:
| 1.1.-31.8.2018 | Comparable | ||
| € million | Change, % | change, % | |
| Grocery trade, total | 3,553.4 | +2.1 | +5.8 |
| Building and technical trade, Finland | 1,357.3 | -15.1 | +4.1 |
| Building and technical trade, other countries | 1,424.4 | -3.0 | +0.0 |
| Building and technical trade, total | 2,781.7 | -9.3 | +1.9 |
| Car trade, total | 669.2 | +5.5 | +5.5 |
| Common functions and eliminations | 1.0 | ||
| Grand total | 7,005.4 | -2.4 | +4.1 |
| Finland, total | 5,581.0 | -2.3 | +5.3 |
| Other countries, total | 1,424.4 | -3.0 | +0.0 |
| Grand total | 7,005.4 | -2.4 | +4.1 |
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 excluding the impact of acquisitions and divestments and by including in the sales those stores formerly belonging to Suomen Lähikauppa which have belonged to the network in both years. The comparable change % for the building and technical trade has been calculated in local currencies and excluding the impact of acquisitions and divestments made in 2017 and 2018. 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.
The reported sales for Kesko Group’s continuing operations include the acquisitions carried out in 2018, which are Reinin Liha and Kalatukku E. Eriksson in the grocery trade and Skattum Handel AS and Gipling AS in the building and technical trade.
In August 2018, the number of Kesko's wholesale selling days in Finland was 23, which equals the number of wholesale selling days the year before. January-August 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 Vice President, Group Controller Eva Kaukinen, tel. +358 105 322 338.
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