STOCKMANN GROUP'S SALES IN APRIL 2006

STOCKMANN plc STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE May 5, 2006, at 9.00

STOCKMANN GROUP'S SALES IN APRIL 2006

The Stockmann Group's sales in April were EUR 141.8 million. Consolidated sales, eliminating the divested Zara business in Russia and the Stockmann Auto business that was transferred to new owners on March 1, 2006, were up 10 per cent. The Zara business is carried on in Russia for the account of Inditex of Spain as from January 1, 2006, providing that the sale of the subsidiary carrying on the Zara business in Russia closes, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the deal, during the spring. Without the elimination of the sales in 2005 by the Zara stores in Russia and sales by Stockmann Auto in 2005, the Group's sales decreased by 18 per cent.

Due to Easter, in the business operations in Finland there were three sales days less in April 2006 than in 2005.

The best growth in sales in April was reported by Hobby Hall whose sales were up 23 per cent. Sales rose by 25 per cent in Finland and by 11 per cent abroad. The growth in sales was attributable to the different campaign schedule compared with the previous year.

Sales by the Department Store Division, eliminating the Zara business in Russia, grew by 11 per cent. Sales rose by 4 per cent in Finland and by 35 per cent abroad. Sales were lifted by the Crazy Days campaign which was successful both in Finland and abroad and once again hit record sales, and in Finland further by the new department store that was opened in the Jumbo Shopping Centre in Vantaa, near Helsinki, in October 2005. In the international operations the like-for-like growth was strong in all market areas and sales were lifted by the building out of the Bestseller chain in Russia as well. If the divested Zara business in Russia is not eliminated from the Department Store Division's comparative figures, the division posted sales growth of 7 per cent and growth in sales abroad of 18 per cent.

Seppälä's sales were down 7 per cent. Sales in Finland were down 18 per cent due to the late arrival of spring which influenced the demand in the whole clothing business. Sales abroad grew by 67 per cent, which was attributable to the building out of the store network in Russia, Lithuania and Latvia as well as the especially strong growth in same-store sales.

Sales figures in April and in January-April

April January-April January- December

changechange
20062005 perc.20062005perc.2005
MeMe 06/05MeMe06/05Me
Department Store84.380.94.3257.9240.67.2797.1
Division, Finland Department Store 28.5 21.1 35.0 90.8 68.3 32.9 227.0 Division, international operations* Department Store 112.9 102.0 10.7 348.6 308.9 12.8 1 024.1 Division, total*
Stockmann Auto*74.864.316.364.3
Hobby Hall, Finland14.111.225.457.360.0-4.4176.5
Hobby Hall,3.02.711.212.314.4-14.534.0
international operations
Hobby Hall, total17.113.922.769.674.4-6.4210.5
Seppälä, Finland9.010.9 -18.234.636.9-6.2132.4
Seppälä, international2.81.767.29.55.765.722.9
operations
Seppälä, total11.812.6-6.744.242.73.5155.2
Real estate + others0.10.1-4.10.30.3-4.00.9
Operations in Finland, 107.5 103.14.2425.0402.25.71 171.2
total International 34.3 25.5 34.6 112.6 88.4 27.3 283.9 operations, total* Stockmann total* 141.8 128.6 10.3 537.6 490.7 9.6 1 455.1

* The figures for 2005 do not include the Zara business in Russia that was sold at the turn of the year nor the March-December sales by the Stockmann Auto division that was divested at the beginning of March 2006. If the sales in 2005 by Zara Russia and Stockmann Auto are included in the comparison figures, the change of sales in per cent in January-April 2006 was:

Department Store Division, international operations16.7
Department Store Division, total9.5
Operations in Finland, total-10.6
International operations, total15.0
Stockmann total-6.2

STOCKMANN plc

Hannu Penttilä CEO

DISTRIBUTION Helsinki Stock Exchange Principal media





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