K-rauta Växjö opens in Sweden
K-rauta Växjö opens today in Southern Sweden. The store employs 50 people, with Christer Dahlgren as the Store Manager. The selection of the 8,500 square metre outlet includes over 18,000 items representing house technology, gardening, building materials, tools and interior decoration.
"Over the last few years, we’ve strengthened our foothold and aim at the leading position in the Swedish do-it-yourself market. K-rauta Växjö is an important step to that effect,” says Jani Jylhä, Managing Director of K-rauta AB.
In 2006, K-rauta AB’s sales were 194 million euros. Sweden’s first K-rauta opened in Stockholm in 1996. Today the network comprises 17 stores. During 2007, Gävle will get a new outlet to replace the one destroyed in a fire, and four more new stores will open in 2008.
"Rautakesko’s plan is to build a comprehensive K-rauta network in Sweden. K-rauta Växjö strengthens the chain’s position in Southern Sweden and offers a diversified product selection and service concept to both consumer and business customers. The reformed concept has been very well received by our customers, and we’re confident that we’ll be able to contribute to K-rauta’s positive quality image in Sweden", says Region Director Jarmo Turunen.
According to Industrifakta’s survey, Swedish consumers will spend some 2.6 billion euros annually to buy do-it-yourself products in the next couple of years.
The construction manager of K-rauta Växjö was K/S Handelsplats I11 AS, the architectural designer was J-O Björk AB, supervising was conducted by Ramböll Projektledning Ab and the main constructor was Peab Sverige AB.
The K-rauta chain consists of 40 stores in Finland, 17 in Sweden, five in Latvia and seven in St. Petersburg, Russia. Rautakesko also operates in Norway, Estonia and Lithuania.
Further information:
Managing Director Jani Jylhä, K-rauta AB, tel. +46 70 431 6960
Region Director Jarmo Turunen, Rautakesko Ltd, tel. +358 50 328 3498
Kesko (www.kesko.fi) is a retail specialist whose stores raise the quality of consumers’ everyday lives by offering highly-appreciated products and services at competitive prices. Kesko operates in the Nordic and Baltic countries and Russia.
Rautakesko Ltd (www.rautakesko.com) is a division parent company of Kesko and the leader of the Finnish hardware and builders' supplies sector with its roughly 35% share of the market. Rautakesko develops the K-rauta and Rautia chains and answers for their marketing, purchasing and logistics services, network and retailer resources. Rautakesko operates in the Nordic and Baltic countries and Russia.
