Finland next stop for Mekonomen

15 June 2010 10:05

​Mekonomen, Scandinavia’s leading spare-parts chain, is to establish operations in Finland by opening six Mega units in Helsinki, Tampere and Turku, in collaboration with Metro Auto Oy. Mekonomen plans to open a total of 15 Mega units in Finland by 2012.

“Finland is the next country in our international expansion. Jointly with Metro Auto Oy, we will introduce our Mega concept in the three cities. The goal is to be market leading by establishing Mekonomen throughout Finland jointly with cooperation partners. We want to also make CarLife easier for Finnish consumers and companies,” says Håkan Lundstedt, President and CEO of Mekonomen.

“Mekonomen is an excellent complement to our existing operations. There is currently no concept in Finland that corresponds to Mekonomen’s quality and strength and we are very pleased to be the first player to establish Mekonomen in Finland,” says Pekka Kosonen, President of Metro Auto Oy.

The Finnish vehicle stock comprises about three million vehicles, of which 2.8 million passenger cars. The average age in the vehicle stock has increased in the past 20 years and currently amounts to slightly more than 11 years, compared with slightly less than ten years in Sweden. The total aftermarket for spare parts amounts to EUR 2.5 billion or approximately SEK 25 billion.

The establishment in Finland is estimated to have a negative impact of SEK 10 M on Mekonomen’s EBIT during 2010 and 2011. From 2012, the operation is expected to have a positive impact.

Mekonomen’s Mega units combine store and workshop, with better availability, extended working hours and broader range aimed at making CarLife easier for the consumers. The first Mega unit will open in Helsinki in autumn this year.

For further information, please contact:

Håkan Lundstedt, President and CEO, Mekonomen AB, Tel: +46 (0)8-464 00 00

Gunilla Spongh, CFO, Mekonomen AB, Tel: +46 (0)8-464 00 00

Mekonomen makes CarLife easier, through a broad and highly accessible offering of low-cost and innovative solutions and products for consumers and companies. We are Scandinavia’s leading automotive spare-parts chain with proprietary wholesale operations, more than 200 stores and more than 1,000 workshops, all operating under the Mekonomen brand.