The grocery division of Finnish retail group Kesko generated sales worth €513.1 million in June, registering year-on-year growth of 1.7%.
Grocery sales at K-food stores grew by 1.3%, while sales of home and specialty goods at K-Citymarket were also up, the company said in a statement.
The company's food service arm, Kespro reported sales growth of 6.0%.
In July, total sales generated by Kesko Group amounted to €908.8 million, down 1.3% year-on-year.
Sales Increase
Commenting on its performance, Kesko chief executive Mikko Helander said, "In July, sales increased in the grocery trade in all businesses. In the car trade, sales also increased in all business areas. In the construction and building technology trade, sales fell due to the weakening of construction activity."
In June, Kesko reported a 5.4% increase in sales in its grocery trade division, to €581.1 million, while total sales for the month increased by 1.3% year-on-year to €1.1 billion.
Other Divisions
Kesko Group's construction and building technology trade unit reported sales of €302.9 million, down 9.6% in local currencies.
Hardware store sales fell by 9.9% on a comparable basis, while the building and technical wholesale unit Onninen's sales fell by 9.2% on a comparable basis.
On a comparable basis, sales in the business unit fell by 9.6% in Finland, 16.1% in Sweden, and 5.4% in Norway.
Reported sales in the construction and building technology trade decreased by 7.2%, the company noted.
Kesko's car trade business generated €94.4 million in sales, registering growth of 4% on a comparable basis.
In July, 16.2% more new passenger cars and 11.5% more vans were registered in Finland than the previous year, the company added.
According to K Group's April K-Barometer survey, around 28% of customers in Finland are opting for unhealthier food than before due to higher prices, including more than a third (36%) of families with children.
