Over 33 per cent growth

A sales increase of more than one-third over the previous year was notched up by Rautakesko, the combined building materials and DIY division of the Finnish trading group Kesko, for the year 2003. The amount of business went up by 34.9 per cent to € 1.0179 bn. This growth is not all due to the group’s international expansion, which was reflected in an increase of 144.1 per cent based on sales of € 321.6 mio outside Finland. The division achieved a two-figure rate of growth in the home country as well, increasing sales there by 11.8 per cent to € 696.3 mio.
Rautakesko can look back upon a good Christmas season. Domestic growth amounted to 33.1 per cent in December, and the sales figures abroad shot up by 248.8 per cent compared to December 2002.