Impressive increase of sales for the ten months period

Jumbo group the biggest retail company of toys, baby products, stationary products and other relevant products in Greece announces the sales for the ten months period of the current financial year that includes the sales of the Greek Orthodox Easter. In the first half of the financial year sales grew by 17.39% y-o-y. The Greek Orthodox Easter sales had a positive effect in the group’s sales growth which reached 18.3% y-o-y in the ten months of the current financial year. Jumbo stores in Greece and the hyper-store in Bulgaria contributed significantly in the company’s performance as the continuing strike in the harbours caused disturbance in the supply of the stores in Cyprus. The high-selling period of Easter has a positive effect on the last quarter of the current financial year while last year’s sales were divided between the third and fourth quarter as Greek Orthodox Easter was celebrated significantly earlier. As a result nine months results are not directly comparable with last year’s nine months results. As a side effect of the above: a) Sales growth for the nine months period will be lower than the six months growth rate b) On the contrary the gross profit margin will be substantially improved as sales mix does not include branded products that are sold mainly in Easter enjoy lower gross margins. For the ten months period which includes Easter’s sales, sales growth rate is increased impressively above the six months growth rate. There will be a deterioration of the gross margin but it will be still slightly improved from the six months levels. It is also expected an improvement of the expenses as a percentage of sales from the nine months levels. The company will announce the nine months results on May 20th after the end of trading on Athens Exchange. The company’s management after the ten months sales performance estimates that for the full financial year the group’s sales growth will reach the six months growth of 17.39% or will be improved. Regarding the net profit the management estimates that the six months growth rate of 21.42% is feasible with a probability to exceed it if there is a last minute positive development regarding the situation in the Greek harbors and the road transports with the continuing strikes. These growth rates are significantly higher from the management’s current financial year’s target of 15% growth in sales and profits.