Strong half-year increase

Rautakesko, the Finnish builders' merchant and DIY retail group, saw its sales in the first six months of 2006 increase by 58.6 per cent over the same period last year to € 1.0151 bn. This growth was principally achieved abroad (as reported in DIYglobal), where the figure is 161.8 per cent. The rate of increase in Finland amounted to 3.5 per cent and a turnover of € 432.1 mio.