In January–March, the retail sales before taxes of S Group’s grocery and non-food retail totalled EUR 2,566.1 million. Compared with the corresponding period in the previous year, sales grew by 3.3 per cent.

“The positive development in grocery and non-food retail sales continued in the first quarter of the year. The growth was particularly strong in online food sales via the S-kaupat service and on Prisma.fi for non-food retail,” says Hannu Krook, CEO SOK.

Customers’ purchase decisions continued to emphasise the importance of price, and purchases were made with consideration and based on needs. In the non-food retail, the demand for winter sports and clothing was boosted by the wintery weather in January and February. In March, the warming of the weather, in turn, launched early spring sales, for example, in garden products and cycling.

In grocery retail, the launch of the Finnish Recipe for Success products at the end of January was historically successful, with a record number of products sold during the early part of the year. All of this season’s Recipe for Success products entered the ranks of the top-selling items in their respective product groups.

Specialty retail was boosted by campaigns and the growth of the Sokos.fi online store

The sales of S Group’s specialty retail in January–March totalled EUR 59 million. Sales increased by 14.4 per cent from the previous year. The development was boosted by the fact that this year, the 3+1 Päivää campaign took place in March instead of April. Sales of the increasingly popular Sokos.fi online store continued on a strong growth path throughout the early part of the year.

The year got off to a lively start at Sokos stores and in the Emotion chain. Cold weather boosted the sales of winter clothing in January. Also the demand for home product groups increased in the early part of the year. Customers were price-conscious, and weakened consumer confidence was reflected in purchasing behaviour in the form of caution. However, campaigns such as the traditional 3+1 Päivää were still attractive to customers. The offerings of Åhléns, which expanded in the home product group in March, were also well received. In fashion, the Åhléns offering can now be found in six department stores in addition to the online store.

A busy start to the year in fuels retail and service stations

S Group’s fuels retail and service stations sales in January–March amounted to EUR 510 million. Sales increased by 14 per cent from the previous year. The growth in sales was supported by the increased demand for fuels due to the changed market situation and the increase in global market prices in March.

Electric vehicle charging sales also continued to grow strongly, with sales in January–March about one and a half times higher than in the previous year. In addition to the expanded network, the development was strengthened by the cold winter weather of the early part of the year, which increased the need for charging.

The warming weather in March brought an increase in traffic volumes after a slightly quieter February. This was also reflected in the demand for the ABC chain’s services. Both car wash sales and sales at ABC service station stores and ABC restaurants picked up as the spring weather arrived. The use of digital services also continued to grow strongly, and there are now around 850,000 ABC-mobiili application users.

Sales in the travel industry and hospitality business increased compared with the previous year

The sales of S Group’s travel industry and hospitality business in January–March grew by nearly three per cent compared to the previous year, reaching a total of EUR 190.8 million. The development was favourable in both hotels and restaurants, despite the challenging operating environment.

Customers were particularly attracted by the café offerings and fast food concepts, whose popularity continued to grow. In the early part of the year, demand also grew strongly in restaurants, such as the Grill it and Rosso chains. Tourism trade continued on a good development path in the early part of the year. The recovery in international tourism continued, and the number of foreign customers increased by 13 per cent in the early part of the year.

The retail sales (excluding taxes) of regional cooperatives, SOK and their subsidiaries 1–3/2026

The grocery and non-food retail includes S Group’s grocery retail and Prisma non-food retail. *The figure includes sales in Estonia.