“Kesko’s sales grew in March by 2.9% despite the coronavirus epidemic and related restrictive measures. Kesko’s businesses and operating countries have been affected by the exceptional situation in different ways. Food sales in K-food stores clearly increased, while home and speciality goods sales in K-Citymarkets and Kespro’s sales to restaurants and institutional kitchens decreased. Building and technical trade sales increased in the Nordic countries, but decreased in the Baltic countries especially due to store closures in Lithuania due to the epidemic. Comparable sales in the car trade decreased compared to the year before,” says Mikko Helander, Kesko’s President and CEO.
Sales in the grocery trade totalled €476.1 million in March, an increase of 2.8%. Grocery sales to K-food stores increased by 10.1%. Kespro’s sales decreased by 20.5%.
Sales in the building and technical trade totalled €369.7 million in March, an increase of 4.9% in comparable terms in local currencies. Comparable sales in the building and technical trade excluding the speciality goods trade grew by 5.3%. Sales in Finland grew by 11.2%, while sales elsewhere were flat year-on-year. Kesko Senukai’s stores in Lithuania were closed for part of the month. Sales in the speciality goods' leisure trade decreased by 12.4%, while sales in the machinery trade grew by 21.1% in comparable terms. Reported sales in the building and technical trade increased by 4.5%.
Sales in the car trade totalled €71.5 million in March, representing a decrease of 1.4%. In comparable terms, sales decreased by 12.6%.
Kesko Group's sales in euros, excluding VAT, in March 2020:
| March 2020 | Comparable | ||
| € million | Change, % | change, % | |
| Grocery trade, total | 476.1 | +2.8 | +2.8 |
| Building and technical trade, Finland | 184.7 | +8.2 | +8.9 |
| Building and technical trade, other countries | 185.0 | +1.1 | +1.0 |
| Building and technical trade, total | 369.7 | +4.5 | +4.9 |
| Car trade, total | 71.5 | -1.4 | -12.6 |
| Common functions and eliminations | -1.8 | ||
| Grand total | 915.5 | +2.9 | +2.2 |
| Finland, total | 730.5 | +3.4 | +2.5 |
| Other countries, total | 185.0 | +1.1 | +1.0 |
| Grand total | 915.5 | +2.9 | +2.2 |
Kesko Group's sales in euros, excluding VAT, in January–March 2020:
| 1.1.-31.3.2020 | Comparable | ||
| € million | Change, % | change, % | |
| Grocery trade, total | 1,333.8 | +4.5 | +4.5 |
| Building and technical trade, Finland | 499.5 | +5.3 | +5.8 |
| Building and technical trade, other countries | 527.1 | +7.8 | +5.0 |
| Building and technical trade, total | 1,026.6 | +6.5 | +5.4 |
| Car trade, total | 226.8 | +10.3 | -4.2 |
| Common functions and eliminations | -4.8 | ||
| Grand total | 2,582.4 | +5.7 | +4.0 |
| Finland, total | 2,055.3 | +5.1 | +3.7 |
| Other countries, total | 527.1 | +7.8 | +5.0 |
| Grand total | 2,582.4 | +5.7 | +4.0 |
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 2019.
The reported sales for Kesko Group’s continuing operations include the acquisitions carried out in 2019, which are Sørbø Trelast AS and Fresks Group in the building and technical trade, and the Volkswagen, Audi and SEAT businesses of Huittisten Laatuauto, LänsiAuto and Laakkonen in the car trade.
The number of delivery days in Kesko's wholesale in Finland in March 2020 was 22, which is one day more than the year before. The number of delivery days in January-March equalled that of the previous year.
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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