Anttila

Anttila is the leading home and speciality goods retailer in Finland. Anttila serves its customers at Anttila department stores, Kodin Ykkönen department stores for interior decoration and home goods, and through NetAnttila, which focuses on distance sales. Centralised purchasing and logistics combined with an efficient organisation and operating practices guarantee competitive prices. Anttila's operations are based on a long-term strategy, multi-channel service and competence in strong, selected product areas.

Market

In Finland, there are 28 Anttila department stores and two smaller speciality stores. The eight Kodin Ykkönen department stores for interior decoration and home goods are complemented with the Kodin1.com online store. NetAnttila is engaged in distance sales and serves its customers online and with catalogues in Finland, Estonia and Latvia. Anttila retails entertainment, fashion and home goods; their total market in Finland is estimated at €7–8 billion. The annual growth in the market has been 3–5%.

Customers of Anttila department stores value diversified selections of leisure items, clothing and home goods combined with a low price level and friendly service.

Kodin Ykkönen provides a superior selection and services for decorators of cosy homes. Customers of Kodin Ykkönen value diversity, interior decoration ideas, and good design and other service. For several years, NetAnttila has been the best-known and most popular online department store among Finns. Customers of NetAnttila value its pioneering position, easy shopping and reliability as well as low prices and wide selections.

The TopTen department concept is the largest retailer of music, movies and multimedia in Finland, and a major seller of information technology and electronics. Topten.fi pages offer current information about new products and various events. Anttila Store is Anttila's new speciality store which offers, in addition to the strong TopTen and cosmetics departments, a selection of products of current interest that change from one season to another. Anttila's competitors include department stores, hypermarkets, speciality store chains and online stores. The importance of discounters as competitors is growing as they form chains and expand, while increasing the number of branded goods in their selections.

Strengths Anttila

focuses on multi-channel home and speciality goods retailing. Approximately 26 million customers visit Anttila every year. There are some 2,100 employees in the customer service.

Anttila bases its comprehensive selections on customer wishes, purchasing behaviour and over 50,000 annual items of customer feedback. Anttila's strengths include stores that provide ideas and sales-oriented service.

Centralised purchasing and effective support activities enable competitive pricing and quick reactions to market changes.

Year 2008

In 2008, Anttila's net sales totalled €560 million, a decrease of 0.7%. Anttila's operating profit excluding non-recurring items was €19.8 million and was down by €5.4 million.

New department stores were opened in Pori and Rovaniemi. The store in Pori replaced the existing outlet. A special Anttila Store was opened in Nummela, Vihti.

Because of the economic uncertainty, sales slowed down during late 2008. Retail sales of Anttila department stores totalled €393 million in 2008, representing a decrease of 1.3%. Sales of Kodin Ykkönen department stores amounted to €181 million, down by 1.9%.

Distance sales increased in Finland by 4.9% and Estonia by 1.4%, but decreased in Latvia by 17.6%.

Objectives

Anttila's strategic objectives include strengthening its market position on a profitable basis, increasing the appeal of brands, raising the competence and productivity to a high level and increasing online services.

Anttila's target is healthy sales growth and good profitability by increasing the average purchase and the number of customer visits. Anttila will continue training the staff in customer service and sales. The range of services related to home and speciality goods will be developed and marketed actively by leveraging the many channels the company has at its disposal.

In 2009, a new Anttila department store will be opened in the Skanssi shopping centre in Turku and the second Kodin Ykkönen in Tampere, in Lielahti.

Anttila, home and speciality goods of K-citymarket and other home and speciality goods companies of the Kesko Group will intensify their cooperation in 2009. Synergy benefits are sought, above all, in goods sourcing and purchasing, management and customer relationship management.