METRO Group boosts Q1 sales by 12.1%

03 May '07

3 min read

METRO Group made a dynamic start into the year 2007. Compared against the same period last year the company boosted First Quarter sales by 12.1 percent to € 14.9 billion. Even net of the acquisitions of Wal-Mart Germany and Géant Poland sales rose distinctly by 7.8 percent.

“We are very satisfied with the development of our sales during the First Quarter. METRO Group laid a strong foundation for a successful fiscal year 2007,“ said Dr. Hans-Joachim Körber, Chairman of the Management Board and CEO of the METRO Group.

“We distinctly stepped up sales in all regions. Again, we were particularly successful in our growth markets Asia and Eastern Europe, but business also developed positively in the challenging markets of Western Europe and in Germany – although consumer sentiment in our domestic market was marred by the increase in value added tax.“

In Western Europe, sales climbed 7.8 percent in a highly competitive market. In Eastern Europe, METRO Group continued its dynamic growth course. All sales divisions operating in this region contributed to the significant sales plus of 22.6 percent.

In Asia and Africa, sales soared by as much as 24.9 percent. Even with the acquisition of Wal-Mart Germany the share of international business in our sales still rose from 54.8 percent during the same period last year to now 55.8 percent.

In Germany, sales climbed 9.7 percent year-on-year despite the VAT hike. Even net of the acquisition of the local Wal-Mart activities we generated a 2.1 percent rise in domestic sales. Business developed positively, especially in March.

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