Rona loses out

In the second quarter of 2009 Rona, the Canadian building materials and DIY group, recorded sales of C $ 1.370 bn, a fall of 7.0 per cent from a year earlier. Same-store sales were 6.2 per cent down, while net earnings fell 20.7 per cent to C $ 60.8 mio. The group completed the first six months with sales down 7.1 per cent to C $ 2.216 bn. Net earnings experienced a fall of 21.5 per cent on the first six months of 2008 to C $ 58.3 mio.