OREANDA-NEWS. On 20 January 2009 was announced, that JSC “The Seventh Continent” (further referred to as the Company) 2008 trade sales in ruble terms increased 22.5 % YoY. The growth in sales in ruble terms in the hypermarket format for 2008 reached 51%.

The Company’s December 2008 trade sales in ruble terms increased 10% YoY and reached 4 849 mn. rubles. The growth in sales in ruble terms in the hypermarket format for December 2008 reached 43%. The growth in regional sales in ruble terms for December 2008 reached 36% YoY.

Based on management accounts the Company’s 2008 gross retail sales[1] reached 43 899 mn. rubles. The number of customers increased 7% YoY. 

As of the end of December 2008 the selling space of the Company’s stores under the brands “The Seventh Continent” (supermarkets), “Nash Hypermarket” (“Our Hypermarket”) and “Prostore” accounts for 171.8 th. sq. m. and increased 17% compared with the same period of 2007.

In December 2008 the Company opened 1 store in supermarket format: “The Seventh Coninent – Next door” in Moscow (the following address: Cherepovetzkaya street 4 A).

From the beginning of the year 2008 the Company opened 14 new stores including 3 hypermarkets. In order to optimize the chain structure in Kaliningrad the Company closed 1 store in supermarket format: “The Seventh Continent – Next Door” (the following address: Kaliningrad, 66-68, Prospect Mira), total selling space of this store was 230 sq.m..

Selling space increased by 24,9 th. sq. m., including the 16,6 th. sq. m. in the hypermarket format. As of the end of December 2008 the Company managed 140 stores, including 131 supermarkets and 9 hypermarkets.

[1] The sales figure includes gross retail sales including VAT and does not include other revenues