KESKO

Overview

Kesko is a Finnish trading-sector company whose core businesses are grocery trade, building and technical trade, and car trade. Its activities span grocery retail and foodservice, home-improvement and building products, technical trade, and car sales and related services. In FY2025, net sales were €12.5 billion; grocery trade was the largest division, followed by building and technical trade and car trade.[1][2]

Kesko operates in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Its stated purpose is “Towards better trade every day – customer and quality in everything we do.” [3] Kesko reported 18,991 personnel at year-end 2025.[4] The company was established in 1940 through the merger of four Finnish regional wholesalers.[5] [1]+7

Products & services

Kesko’s grocery-trade offerings include consumer groceries through K-Market, K-Supermarket and K-Citymarket, with K-Citymarket also selling non-food products. Its own-brand range includes Pirkka, with more than 2,800 products including organic, Fairtrade and Pirkka Parhaat items, and K-Menu. For foodservice customers, Kespro supplies food and beverages as well as non-food goods such as tableware and cleaning products; its services include logistics, digital tools, training and service-partner support.[6]+3

Building and technical trade spans building materials and timber for construction and renovation through chains including K-Rauta, K-Bygg, Byggmakker and Davidsen. Onninen supplies professional customers with technical products including heating, water, sewage, ventilation and cooling equipment, electrical and refrigeration products, steel and energy products. Related services include logistics, project support, digital services and assistance for professional builders.[10]+2

In car trade, K-Auto imports and sells Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT, CUPRA, Porsche and Bentley passenger cars, and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles in Finland. Its offerings also include used-car sales, servicing and repairs, spare parts, leasing and K-Lataus electric-vehicle charging. Kesko’s sports-trade businesses, including Intersport and Budget Sport, sell sports and leisure goods and provide product maintenance and customer advice.[13][14] [6]+8

Geographic presence

Kesko operates in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. Grocery and car trade operate in Finland, while building and technical trade operates across all eight countries. Its building and home-improvement chains include K-Rauta in Finland, K-Bygg in Sweden, Byggmakker in Norway and Davidsen in Denmark [15][16]. Kesko reported approximately 1,700 stores across its eight-country network [3].

In 2025, international operations generated about €2.7 billion, or 22% of net sales; this implies Finland represented approximately 78% of net sales, calculated from the reported international share [17]. The 2025 building and technical trade country/market breakdown reported (€, millions): Finland, building and home improvement 899.6 and technical 1,121.7; Sweden, K-Bygg 343.2, K-Rauta 0.2 and technical 134.4; Norway, Byggmakker 520.0 and technical 503.2; Denmark, Davidsen 709.0; the Baltics, technical 153.5; and Poland, technical 378.4 [18]. Kesko Corporation’s head office is at K-Kampus, Työpajankatu 12, 00580 Helsinki, Finland [19]. [15]+14

Business segments

Kesko reports three operating segments: Grocery trade, covering grocery retail and foodservice/wholesale, including Kespro; Building and technical trade, covering building and home-improvement retail and technical trade; and Car trade, which also includes sports trade.[2][1]

Based on the three segments’ reported net sales, the approximate FY2025 mix was Grocery trade 51.6% (€6,447.4 million), Building and technical trade 37.5% (€4,685.8 million), and Car trade 10.9% (€1,364.8 million). The corresponding Q1 2026 mix was 51.3%, 37.8%, and 10.9%, respectively. Percentages are shares of the combined net sales of the three segments, rather than group net sales.[1][20]

Kesko also reports subdivisions within the operating segments: Building and technical trade is split into building and home-improvement trade and technical trade; Car trade reporting separately identifies Car trade and Sports trade. In FY2025, Car trade represented about 87.6% of that division’s sales and Sports trade about 12.4%.[21][22] The latest interim report available by 2026-10-04 is the 2026 half-year report.[23] [1]+5

Company history

Kesko was formed in October 1940 when four Finnish regional wholesalers, established by retailer associations, merged; operations began in early 1941. In 1960, the company was listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange, and in 1971 it opened the first K-Citymarket, in Lahti.[5][24]

In 2001, Kesko reorganised its operations into business-specific subsidiaries, including Kesko Food, Rautakesko and Keswell. Matti Halmesmäki became President and CEO in 2005, the year Rautakesko expanded into Norway and Russia through acquisitions. In 2016, Kesko completed the acquisitions of Suomen Lähikauppa, whose Siwa and Valintatalo stores were converted to K-markets, and building and technical-trade company Onninen. Jorma Rauhala succeeded Mikko Helander as CEO in February 2024; that year, Kesko completed its acquisition of a 90% stake in Danish builders’ merchant Davidsen, marking its entry into Denmark.[25]+6 [29]+7

Sources

• KESKO — Partial financial report (2025 Y)
  4 citations

  [1][4][18][22]
• www.kesko.fi[2]
• www.kesko.fi[3]
• www.kesko.fi[5]
• www.kesko.fi[6]
• www.kesko.fi[7]
• www.kespro.com[8]
• www.kespro.com[9]
• www.kesko.fi[10]
• www.kesko.fi[11]
• www.kesko.fi[12]
• www.kesko.fi[13]
• www.kesko.fi[14]
• KESKO — Full financial report (2024 Y)
  4 citations

  [15][16][29][30]
• www.kesko.fi[17]
• www.kesko.fi[19]
• KESKO — Partial financial report (2026 Q 1)[20][21]
• www.kesko.fi[23]
• www.kesko.fi[24]
• www.kesko.fi[25]
• www.kesko.fi[26]
• www.kesko.fi[27]
• www.kesko.fi[28]