Clas Ohlson sales development in January 2013


Sales rose 7% in January to SEK 520 M (487). In local currencies, sales
increased 7%. Compared with the same month in 2012, 20 stores have been added
and the total number of stores on January 31 2013 was 172. Mail order/Internet
sales during the month was SEK 9 M (7).
Sales channels (SEK M):

                                                         Percentage
Percentage change,
Countries                                         change:                  local
currency:

Sweden              238 M (229)                   +4%                +4%

Norway               219 M (199)                 +10%                +8%

Finland                  44 M   (40)                   +9%              +12%

UK                         20 M   (19)                   +5%                +7%

Total sales during the first nine months (May 2012 - January 2013) increased by
5% to SEK 5 245 M (4 988).

The Q3-report for 2012/13 will be published on March 12 2013.

For more information please contact:

Klas Balkow, CEO and President: +46 (0)247-447 55

John Womack, Director Information & IR: +46 (0)70-678 24 99

The information in this press release comprises information that Clas Ohlson AB
(publ) is required to disclose pursuant to the Swedish Securities Market Act
and/or the Swedish Financial Instruments Trading Act. The information was
released for publication at 08:00 (CET) on Friday February 15 2013.
Clas Ohlson AB is a Swedish chain store that sells, amongst other things,
hardware, electrical, multimedia, and home and leisure products. It is the
largest hardware chain in Scandinavia. The company was founded in 1918 by the
technically-minded Clas Ohlson (1895–1979), as a mail order business based in
the Swedish village of Insjön, Dalarna. Initially, only manuals and technical
literature were sold. He opened his first shop in Insjön in 1926 and there are
now stores throughout Sweden, as well as in Norway and Finland. In 2008, the
company opened its first store in the United Kingdom, in Croydon, south London.
There are now stores at the Arndale Centre in Manchester, at The Harlequin in
Watford, in Kingston upon Thames, Reading, Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham,
Cardiff, Doncaster, Norwich and Newcastle.