PRAKTIKER BAU UND HEIMWERKERMAERKTE AG 
By Trading Statement of Praktiker AG
Q4 2012 Group sales only slightly below prior year level
HAMBURG - 8 January 2013. The Praktiker Group succeeded in stabilising sales in the last three months of financial year 2012. Abroad, the sales decline continued to ease while like-for-like sales in Germany were slightly up from last year. Q4 business in Germany was characterised by the conversion of a major number of Praktiker stores to the Max Bahr brand as a consequence of which business in these stores was down due to a conversion-related four-week closing, but then picked up significantly.
In total and according to as yet preliminary figures, the Praktiker Group generated net sales of around 695.9 million euro in the last quarter of the year. This is 2.7 percent down from the year earlier. During the first nine months of the year the decline had still amounted to 6.5 percent. In total, sales generated in financial year 2012 reached around 3.004 billion euro which is 5.6 percent less than last year.
In Germany, Q4 Group sales came in at around 502.4 million euro thereby falling short of the prior-year level by 1.4 percent owing in particular to the fact that 11 Praktiker stores had been closed in the course of the year. For this reason and also due to the conversion of another 27 stores to the Max Bahr brand, sales of the Praktiker sales division declined by 5.5 percent while Max Bahr was able to increase its sales by 8.9 percent due to the expansion of its store portfolio. Like-for-like, the total domestic business operations generated a slight plus of 0.3 percent. According to the business data available so far, Praktiker AG is thus likely to have outperformed in Germany the DIY sector as a whole in the fourth quarter.
Domestic sales improved in the course of the last quarter of the year and even moved to a plus of 2.1 percent in nominal terms in December - despite store closures, sales losses related to the conversion of stores to the Max Bahr brand, and two business days less. "This indicates that we are on the right track - a track that now needs to be systematically expanded" stressed the CEO of Praktiker AG, Armin Burger. "Especially the results reported by those stores that have been recently converted from Praktiker to Max Bahr show a distinctly positive development in terms of sales and earnings, although it is still too early to draw up a reliable interim balance. We therefore have every reason to further drive this strategic repositioning as planned".
International business stabilised towards the end of the year and reached the year-earlier level in December. For the full fourth quarter, international sales came in at around 193.5 million euro, thereby missing the prior-year value by 6.0 percent - following a minus of 10.2 percent during the first nine months. In the full financial year 2012, Praktiker AG generated international sales of around 811.3 million euro (minus 9.3 percent).
At the end of the financial year, the Praktiker Group operated a total of 427 stores, 12 less than one year earlier. Following the start of the conversion of Praktiker stores to the Max Bahr brand, the number of Max Bahr stores in Germany had climbed from 78 to 105 as per 31 December 2012 while the number of Praktiker stores had dropped from 235 to 197 as a consequence of the conversion and of the closure of several stores. Abroad, the portfolio grew from 109 to 111 stores.
The Praktiker Group will publish the final sales figures and its complete annual financial statements on 28 March 2013 in the framework of its Annual Press Conference that will be hosted for the second time in Hamburg.
Sales trend 2012 and Q4 2012 (preliminary figures)
€ million | 2012 | 2011 | Change in % (€) |
Change in % | ||
total | l-f-l | total | l-f-l | |||
| Group | 3,004 | 3,183 | -5.6 | -5.5 | -5.2 | -5.1 |
| Germany | 2,193 | 2,289 | -4.2 | -3.5 | -4.2 | -3.5 |
| thereof Praktiker | 1,409 | 1,507 | -6.5 | -3.0 | -6.5 | -3.0 |
| thereof Max Bahr | 701 | 695 | 0.9 | -3.6 | 0.9 | -3.6 |
| thereof Miscellaneous | 83 | 87 | -4.7 | - | -4.7 | - |
| International | 811 | 894 | -9.3 | -10.5 | -7.6 | -9.2 |
€ million | Q4 2012 | Q4 2011 | Change in % (€) |
Change in % | ||
total | l-f-l | total | l-f-l | |||
| Group | 696 | 716 | -2.7 | -2.0 | -3.4 | -2.6 |
| Germany | 502 | 510 | -1.4 | 0.3 | -1.4 | 0.3 |
| thereof Praktiker | 317 | 335 | -5.5 | 7.1 | -5.5 | 7.1 |
| thereof Max Bahr | 168 | 155 | 8.9 | -2.1 | 8.9 | -2.1 |
| thereof Miscellaneous | 17 | 20 | -13.0 | - | -13.0 | - |
| International | 194 | 206 | -6.0 | -7.4 | -8.1 | -9.5 |
Development of Store portfolio 2012
| Stores | 31 Dec 2012 | 31 Dec 2011 | Change |
| Germany | 316 | 330 | -14 |
| thereof Praktiker | 197 | 235 | -38 |
| thereof Max Bahr | 105 | 78 | 27 |
| thereof Miscellaneous | 14 | 17 | -3 |
| International | 111 | 109 | 2 |
| Group | 427 | 439 | -12 |
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