Slight sales boost for Hornbach

Hornbach's sales for the first nine months of the current financial year (1 March – 30 November 2005) showed an increase, though there were shortfalls in the company's operating result. Sales of € 1.8920 bn recorded by the holding company for the first three quarters were 7.2 per cent above the figure for the equivalent period in the previous year. Net turnover rose by 8.3 per cent to € 599.9 mio in the third quarter. The DIY and garden stores belonging to the Hornbach-Baumarkt-AG sub-group increased their like-for-like sales by 1.8 per cent to € 561.6 mio in the third quarter and by 1.1 per cent tp € 1.7791 bn in the first nine months. Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) at the end of nine months amounted to € 95.3 mio for the holding company, which is 15.3 per cent below the previous year's result.