Quarterly figures from Rautakesko

Rautakesko achieved net sales of € 591 mio in the first quarter of 2008. This amounts to an increase of 10.6 per cent on the same period last year, or 8.2 per cent excluding acquisitions. Sales in Finland grew by 7.9 per cent to € 232 mio, and sales abroad by 12.5 per cent to € 358 mio. The operating profit went down by 11.6 per cent to € 7 mio. The group reports that this decrease is the result of the expansion of its store network and the weakening demand in the building sector, especially in the Baltic States.