RIMI sales still climbing

RIGA -- The pan-Baltic supermarket group Rimi Baltic continues to show strong sales, according to its latest figures.

Rimi Baltic has seen its net sales to September rise 20 percent year-on-year to 834.6m euros. Sales in Lithuania jumped by 33 percent to 97.1m euros, those in Latvia sales rose 32 percent to 211.5m euros, and sales in Estonia rose by a much more modest 6 percent to 142.7m euros.

The group operates 211 stores in the Baltic region 's with 65 in Estonia, 91 in Latvia and 55 in Lithuania.

Quite apart from the figures themselves, Rimi's position as one of the two dominant supermarket chains in the Baltics (the other being Maxima), means that its sales can act as a useful indicator of consumer spending patterns. With that in mind, it seems clear that consumer demand remains extremely strong in Latvia and Lithuania, while Estonians may just be starting to tighten their belts. The figures would also tend to indicate that inflationary pressure in Latvia and Lithuania will continue to build while Estonia cools off.