Sodimac grows significantly in the home market of Chile

The Chilean Falabella group gained an increase in sales of 5.9 per cent to CLP 566.132 bn (EUR 776 mio) in the first quarter with its DIY store subsidiary Sodimac. Same store sales rose by 4.6 per cent in the home market. However the locations in Colombia, the second largest market for Sodimac, made 6.5 per cent less in local currency and 0.4 per cent less after adjusting for currency effects, namely CLP 180.473 bn (EUR 247 mio). Same store sales dropped by 0.9 per cent. In Peru, sales in the local currency did rise by 5.9 per cent, however sank by 0.9 per cent to CLP 150.274 bn (EUR 206 mio) after adjusting for currency effects; same store sales increased by 6.0 per cent here. The devaluation of the currency was particularly noticeable in Argentina. Here, the DIY stores in the Chilean group did make 27.1 per cent more sales, (same store sale: +25.6 per cent), but there was a minus of 7.0 per cent to CLP 38.849 bn (EUR 53 mio) after conversion. In Brazil too, the rise in local currency of 23.8 per cent turned out very high (same store sales: +7.9 per cent); but here the converted CLP 45.782 bn (EUR 62 mio) still lay at 6.5 per cent over the respective previous year's value.