Restrained start

Praktiker’s own assessment rates its start into the year 2008 as “restrained”. Group sales went down by 1.4 per cent to € 865.1 mio in the first quarter compared with the same period last year. The Praktiker brand’s domestic operations were responsible for this, with sales down by 6.6 per cent to € 626.5 mio. The group increased sales abroad by 15.5 per cent to € 238.6 mio. It has disclosed a figure of € 20.8 per cent for the operational loss in the first quarter (last year: € 19.9 mio). This loss amounted to € 22.1 mio at home (last year: -€20.0). The group was able to increase its operating result abroad from € 0.1 mio to € 1.3 mio. This was mainly due to the contributions made by Bulgaria, Greece, Poland and Romania.