STOCKMANN'S PRELIMINARY SALES AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE OPERATING PROFIT IN 2008

STOCKMANN plc Company Announcement 8.1.2009 at 8.00

STOCKMANN'S PRELIMINARY SALES AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE OPERATING PROFIT IN 2008

STOCKMANN GROUP'S PRELIMINARY SALES IN 2008 WERE EUR 2 265 MILLION. SALES WERE UP 36 PER CENT. OPERATING PROFIT FOR THE FINAL QUARTER AND FOR THE WHOLE YEAR WILL BE LOWER THAN IN 2007.

The Stockmann Group's preliminary sales total for December 2008 was EUR 247 million, down 5.3 per cent on the figure for December 2007.

Regarding sales of the divisions, Lindex's December sales were up by 1.7 per cent on the corresponding figure a year earlier. In 2007, Lindex's sales began to be recorded for the Stockmann Group only as from 6 December. Lindex's sales were up 18.2 per cent in Finland and, in euro terms, decreased 0.3 per cent abroad. Calculated in local currencies and compared with the whole month's figures in 2007, Lindex's total sales in December decreased by 2 per cent.

The Department Store Division's sales were down by 8.6 per cent. Sales were down by 2.7 per cent in Finland and by 23.9 per cent abroad. The strong decrease in sales abroad is mainly the result of the absence since May of sales from the Stockmann department store in Moscow's Smolenski Passage shopping centre due to the store's closure as a result of unlawful action taken by the lessors, and also the fall in sales by the Baltic department stores and the weakening of the Russian rouble. Sales by Moscow's other Stockmann department stores grew in December by 2.3 per cent in euro terms, or by 8.7 per cent in terms of the rouble.

Seppälä's December sales were down by 4.0 per cent. Sales were down by 2.8 per cent in Finland and 7.4 per cent abroad. In euro terms, December sales grew slightly in Russia but declined in the Baltic states.

Hobby Hall's sales were down by 5.2 per cent. Sales decreased by 3.2 per cent in Finland and 16.2 per cent abroad.

The preliminary 2008 sales total for the Group as a whole was up by 35.8 per cent to EUR 2 265 million. This robust growth was the result of Lindex joining the Group in December 2007. Seppälä's 2008 sales grew by 4.5 per cent, the Department Store Division's sales were unchanged from 2007 and Hobby Hall's sales decreased by 7.5 per cent.

Sales in the final quarter of the year were less than anticipated due to the strong deterioration in consumer confidence. Therefore the operating profit for the final quarter will be down on the corresponding period a year earlier. Also the full-year operating profit will be less than in 2007.

Towards the end of 2008, the Swedish krona has declined strongly against the euro. On this account the krona-denominated loan taken in conjunction with acquiring Lindex and the acquisition price of Lindex have decreased correspondingly in the Group's balance sheet. A deferred tax liability must be recorded in earnings on this. This additional deferred tax liability has no effect on cash flow but it will have an adverse effect when calculating the 2008 earnings per share (EPS).

Stockmann will publish its final 2008 sales in its financial statement bulletin on 13 February 2009.

Stockmann's long-term financing for the coming years has been agreed on according to the stock exchange release of 19 December 2008. The arrangement implies that, as a result of the decline in interest rates, the company's financing expenses in 2009 will reduce significantly compared with 2008.

Sales figures in December

DecemberJanuary-December
changechange
20082007perc.20082007perc.
EUREUR08/07EUREUR08/07
mill.mill.mill.mill.
Department Store107.7110.6-2.7868.0871.8-0.4
Division, Finland Department Store 32.5 42.7 -23.9 350.4 346.3 1.2 Division, international operations Department Store 140.2 153.4 -8.6 1 218.4 1 218.1 0.0 Division, total
Lindex, Finland8.77.318.277.47.3957.2
Lindex,60.660.8-0.3595.160.8879.0
international operations
Lindex, total69.368.11.7672.568.1887.4
Hobby Hall, Finland14.615.1-3.2157.4168.5-6.6
Hobby Hall,2.32.7-16.233.638.0-11.7
international operations
Hobby Hall, total16.917.9-5.2191.0206.5-7.5
Seppälä, Finland15.315.8-2.8121.2123.1-1.5
Seppälä,5.66.1-7.461.351.618.8
international operations
Seppälä, total21.021.8-4.0182.6174.74.5
Real estate +0.10.18.40.80.8-6.0
others Operations in 146.3 148.9 -1.7 1 224.8 1 171.5 4.5 Finland, total International 101.1 112.3 -10.0 1 040.4 496.8 109.4 operations, total Stockmann total 247.4 261.2 -5.3 2 265.2 1 668.3 35.8

Sales by Lindex reported as from December 6, 2007.

STOCKMANN plc

Hannu Penttilä CEO

DISTRIBUTION NASDAQ OMX Principal media





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