Kesko’s sales grew in April

"In April, Kesko’s sales grew in the grocery trade division and the building and technical trade division. Food trade sales were at a good level, with strong growth in foodservice. In building and technical trade, sales growth continued strong despite the fact that Easter this year was in April. The division had one delivery day less than the year before,” says Kesko's President and CEO Mikko Helander.

Sales in the grocery trade division totalled €496.6 million in April, an increase of 4.9%. Grocery sales to K Group grocery stores were flat year-on-year. Sales in K-Citymarket’s home and speciality goods (non-food) decreased. Kespro’s sales grew by 41.1%. In relative terms, consumption was weighted more towards foodservice than retail compared to last year.

Sales in the building and technical trade division totalled €435.8 million in April, an increase of 7.0% in comparable terms in local currencies. Excluding speciality goods trade, division sales grew by 7.6% in comparable terms. Sales grew in comparable terms by 12.3% in Finland and 3.3% in Sweden and decreased by 4.0% in Norway. The performance was impacted especially in Norway by the timing of Easter. In speciality goods trade, leisure trade sales decreased by 3.9% in comparable terms. Reported sales in the building and technical trade division increased by 8.4%.

Sales in the car trade division totalled €68.7 million in April, a decrease of 28.5%. Sales were impacted by the weakened availability of cars. Registrations of new cars in Finland were down by 26.7% in passenger cars and by 28.0% in vans compared to the year before. The number of used cars sold in Finland decreased by 18.1% year-on-year.

Kesko Group's sales in April totalled €998.7 million, representing an increase of 2.5% in comparable terms.

Kesko Group's sales in euros, excluding VAT, in April 2022:

Kesko Group's sales in euros, excluding VAT, in January-April 2022:

Change % indicates the change when compared to the corresponding period of the previous year. The comparable change % has been calculated in local currencies and excluding the impact of acquisitions and divestments completed in 2021 and 2022.

The reported sales for Kesko Group include the acquisitions and divestments completed in 2021 and 2022, in accordance with the dates of completion. In 2021, the building and technical trade division completed the acquisition of Byggarnas Partner and discontinued the operations of the Kookenkä shoe store chain. In 2022, the division has completed the acquisition of Kungälvs Trävaruaktiebolaget.

The number of delivery days in Kesko's grocery trade in April 2022 equalled that of the year before, while Kesko’s building and technical trade had one delivery day less than the year before in Finland, Sweden and Norway. In January-April, the number of delivery days equalled that of last year in both Kesko’s grocery trade and its building and technical trade in Finland, Sweden and Norway. Saturdays are wholesale delivery days in grocery trade, but not in building and technical trade. Under normal circumstances, one delivery day has an approximately 2-4% impact on Kesko’s wholesale, depending on the division. The number or timing of delivery days in car trade does not have a similar impact on sales.

Car trade market statistics by the Finnish Information Centre of Automobile Sector.

Kesko publishes advance information on the retail sales of K Group’s stores quarterly in connection with interim reports.

Further information is available from Hanna Jaakkola, Vice President, Investor Relations, tel. +358 105 323 540, and Eva Kaukinen, Vice President, Group Controller, tel. +358 105 322 338.

Kesko Corporation

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