In the supermarket trade, retail sales before taxes in January– September totalled EUR 7,724.8 million, with an increase of 8.5 per cent year-on-year. In the third quarter of the year, the warmest September on record contributed to sales by increasing the demand for beverages, among other products. On the other hand, the exceptionally warm weather slowed down purchases of autumn clothes and footwear.

In Prisma’s consumer goods trade, demand remained stable during the summer season and early autumn despite consumers’ challenging economic situation. S Group’s grocery sales in Finland have outperformed the market every month in January–September.

“An affordable and varied shopping basket is the cooperatives’ core promise, and its significance has increased in the tight economic situation. This is why we reduced the prices of a hundred Xtra products in September as a follow-up to March, when we lowered the price of nearly 400 Xtra products,” says Hannu Krook, CEO of SOK.

The good performance in the supermarket trade was also reflected online. In the S-kaupat online grocery store, the monthly growth rate has been as much as 20 per cent higher than in the previous year. In the consumer goods trade, sales in the Prisma.fi online store increased by more than 30 per cent in the third quarter from the previous year.

The sales of Meira Nova Oy, S Group’s food service company, also developed favourably in January–September and grew faster than the market.

The Sokos fashion trade outperformed the market, with a sales record in the 3+1 Days campaign

S Group’s department store and speciality goods sales totalled EUR 190.7 million in January–September, growing by 5.8 per cent year-on-year. A steady recovery from the pandemic continued in Sokos stores and the Emotion chain. Sales have developed favourably this year, especially in the beauty and fashion product groups. The revamped Sokos.fi has also been well received.

“In the autumn, the successful cooperation between brick-and-mortar stores and online stores was reflected in our traditional 3+1 Days campaign, which reached the best sales in its 30-year history,” says Hannu Krook.

In the fashion trade, sales in the Sokos stores outperformed the market in January–September, although the weather was warmer than usual in September, which reduced the demand for autumn fashion. This year, Sokos was chosen as Finland’s most valued clothing store for the second consecutive time in the Brand Valuation survey carried out by Taloustutkimus.

A busy summer season for hotels, restaurants and the ABC chain

Sales in S Group’s travel and hospitality business totalled EUR 607.3 million in January–September. Compared with the corresponding period in the previous year, sales grew by 15.5 per cent. Overall, sales in January–September were close to the pre-pandemic levels of 2019. The high point of the successful summer season was July, when sales were at a record high in restaurants and hotels. Demand remained at a good level in the early autumn. In addition to leisure activities, meetings and other work-related events are being organised actively again. At restaurants, fast food concepts in particular have grown in popularity.

“The good summer season for hotels and restaurants and the recovery from the years of the pandemic is a great development and the result of long-term work. In Finland and Estonia, sales in January–September even exceeded the 2019 level. Successful reforms and good value for money are of interest to both private and corporate customers. Despite the uncertainties in the economy, our outlook for the autumn and the Christmas party season is relatively positive. The need to meet people has not disappeared with the increase in remote work; quite the contrary, people want to invest in spending time together,” says Hannu Krook.

S Group’s service station store and fuel sales in January–September amounted to EUR 1,641.6 million. Sales decreased by 5.6 per cent year-on-year because of lower world market prices of fuels. The number of visits to ABC service stations was high in the third quarter of the year. Finns’ mobility in the summer increased slightly from the previous year, and cottage trips and weekend travel continued to be brisk in September. Group travel has also recovered from the pandemic.

The positive trend in sales in restaurants and stores at ABC service stations continued in the third quarter, and the sunny weather in the early autumn had a positive impact on the car wash business. The increase in electric charging sales was driven by the expanded ABC charging network and the increase in the number of electric cars. As a result of holiday traffic, a new monthly record in electric charging sales was achieved in July.

S Group’s retail sales before taxes 1–9/2023

(for comparability, changes in percentages have been included for the pre-pandemic year of 2019)

The supermarket trade includes S Group’s grocery sales, Prisma’s utility goods sales, and hardware sales.

* Includes sales in Estonia and Russia. Business operations in Russia have ended. Prisma and hotel business operations in Saint Petersburg were sold in June 2022.