Susanne Ehnbåge
Good morning. I'm Susanne Ehnbåge, CEO of Lindex Group, and welcome to our webcast where we will review the key highlights from Q4 and also the full year of 2025.
Our CFO Henrik Henriksson is here with me. Let's move to the agenda.
We will, on the following page please, we will as usual start with the highlights of Q4, business updates for our two divisions, Lindex and Stockmann, and then also look at the financials more closely. We will finish with an update on our way forward, and after our presentation we will have time for your questions.
We can now move on to the next page. We will begin the business update for Lindex Group as well as the Lindex and Stockmann divisions.
Before that, we will look into the consumer confidence levels in our key markets on the following page. Here you can track consumer confidence trends for 2025.
Our core markets continue to show generally low levels of consumer sentiment. In Finland and Sweden, consumer confidence declined slightly towards year-end, and confidence in Norway rose somewhat, but remains at a low level.
Overall, both consumer and business confidence remain fragile. Now, let's review our group's key messages for the quarter.
We will also revisit this points later during the webcast with more details. During the fourth quarter, the Lindex Group's revenue and adjusted operating result improved.
Both Lindex and Stockmann divisions outperformed the fashion market in our key markets: Sweden, Finland, and Norway. Even with market challenges, the Lindex division increased in both revenue and adjusted operating profit for the quarter.
I'm also pleased to report that the Stockmann division showed continued progress in profit improvement, both for the quarter and year-to-date. These gains are thanks to effective cost-saving measures.
Development continued at the Lindex division's omnichannel distribution center throughout the quarter. The division also launched its first Lindex-owned store in Denmark, marking an important step in expanding Lindex's presence across the Nordics.
In December, the Board of Directors announced that the evaluation of the strategic alternatives for the Stockmann department store business will continue, and that the outcome of the strategic assessment will be communicated when appropriate when appropriate. Additionally, I would like to remind that the Lindex Group restructuring program was completed in August.
We can now move on to the Q4 development. Lindex Group's revenue for the fourth quarter totaled €284.7 million.
The revenue increased by 4% and 2.7% in local currencies. The Lindex division's revenue increased 7.6% and 5.3% in local currencies, and the development was positively affected by improved product availability and a strong commercial offering.
The Stockmann division's revenue decreased by 1.6% due to the impact of Itis department store closure in June and also the transfer of the furniture assortment to the new partner Vepsäläinen in September. The revenue grew in comparable terms.
The group's adjusted operating result increased by €3.3 million to €39.4 million. The Lindex division's adjusted operating result increased due to higher gross profit, and the Stockmann division's adjusted operating result increased due to successful efficiency measures and revenue growth in comparable terms.
For the full year, on the next page: Lindex Group's revenue for 2025 totaled €952.3 million. The revenue increased by 1.3% in euros and was on par in local currencies.
The Lindex division reported increased revenue compared to the previous year. Stockmann division's revenue declined, but again, the division's revenue in comparable terms was on par with the comparison period.
Lindex Group's adjusted operating result decreased to €69.5 million. The decrease was mainly due to higher depreciations related to the omnichannel distribution center.
The Lindex division's adjusted operating result decreased to €72.1 million, mainly due to higher costs for goods handling and also depreciations. The Stockmann division's adjusted operating result improved to €1.2 million.
This marks a first full-year positive adjusting adjusted operating result after many years for the division. Successful operational and cost-efficiency measures improved the profitability.
Let's now take a look at the group's revenue split by division, market, and also categories. The Lindex division contributes 2/3 of the total revenue, and we show a slight increase over last year.
Sweden is the largest market, accounting for 35% of the revenue. The fashion is the main category, generating 80% of the group's revenue; beauty follows at 8%.
On the next page, you can see how the group's market position looks like in the Nordics and the Baltics as well as global partnerships. In 2025, the number of Lindex stores was 442.
During the year, Lindex opened 9 new stores and closed 9 stores. The Stockmann division has today 7 department stores, as the Itis department store in Helsinki was closed in June 2025.
Share of digital sales increased by 1 percentage point to 19%. In addition to the Lindex division's physical stores and own digital store, the company also sells products and third parties digital on third parties digital fashion platforms like Zalando and Boozt and ASOS.
Looking in then to the Lindex division on the next page: We achieved increased profitability and sales growth in both physical physical stores and digital channels in the fourth quarter. Our digital growth was 15%.
With a strong stock availability, we can see that our offering is very appreciated. Building on a strong commercial offering in all categories, lingerie continued to be our best-performing category for the period.
During the quarter, we initiated the rollout of our new floor plan for the lingerie department in approximately 80 stores, with the remaining stores completed during this week. By organizing the assortment into categories—basic, function, and fashion—and also doing better combinations, we present our wide assortment in a clearer and a more inspiring way that meets different buying needs and preferences across age groups.
We continue to grow active customers during the quarter. The opening of our first store in Denmark in early October also symbolizes the beginning of our long-term commitment to grow in Denmark and also to strengthening our presence in the Nordics.
During the autumn, we also launched Lindex clarified higher purpose: to drive meaningful change for women. This reflects our long-term ambitions and commitment to create value for all stakeholders.
Looking at the year looking at the full year of 2025, we increased our revenue in a challenging market, and number of active customers increased for the full year too, which highlights the strength of our offer and strong loyalty base supporting our long-term revenue growth. The ramp-up of our new omnichannel distribution center has been a major focus for the organization during this year.
We have made good progress. After resolving the technical issues experienced in the third quarter, operations have stabilized during the fourth quarter.
During Q4, we continued transferring e-commerce orders to our new warehouse, and we will conduct the final transition of our e-commerce during the first half of 2026. We have expanded our presence in key European growth markets through new stores opening, and also added to that, we have launched many key initiatives to strengthen our e-commerce experience and online growth.
This includes, for example, a new website, an app, and also an optimized digital return solution. We have also strengthened our e-commerce capabilities by combining enhanced visual inspiration with increased efficiency in content production.
As a result, we are driving stronger customer engagements, improved conversion, and a more scalable and future-ready e-commerce operation. We can also summarize a solid progress in our digital and circular transformation during the year.
For example, we have continued our work on material transformation and to scale recycled fiber. We have also made a great progress in product traceability and preparing for the digital product passport.
As part of our commitment of full traceability throughout our entire supply chain, we are implementing a digital platform called TextileGenesis, which enables tracking of every product from fiber to finished garment. Another area of progress is our AI journey to transform our ways of working and operating.
Let's continue with the Stockmann division. Stockmann achieved its seventh straight quarter of improved profits in Q4, driven by efficiency measures, higher comparable revenue, and a proactive inventory management.
Stockmann's fashion category outperformed the market, confirming the strength of Stockmann's assortment, commercial tactics, and customer messaging. The number of Stockmann's active loyal customers increased significantly during the quarter, and the share of revenue from loyal customers also grew.
At the Helsinki flagship, Stockmann introduced two large exterior digital out-of-home screens at one of the most visible premium locations in Finland, significantly enhancing brand visibility and driving driving retail media revenue going forward. 2025 marked Stockmann's first full-year positive adjusted operating result after many years, and this is, of course, an important milestone, and it reflects clear and disciplined strategic execution.
Digital sales increased by 5%, with even greater growth observed in comparable categories when excluding the excluding the transferred furniture business. A continued focus on operational and organizational efficiency delivered a notable decline in operating costs.
Several process and organizational changes contributed to lower cost levels while also improving commercial agility and competitiveness. Stockmann enhanced its offering with inspiring brand and concept launches, including Nars Beauty, the expansion of Kiko Milano to the Baltics, and successful influencer collaboration within own brands, K-Beauty department in Helsinki, and Vepsäläinen partnership in furniture category.
A strategic focus on loyal customers resulted in a clear increase in new and active loyalty members, alongside a higher share of revenue from loyal customers. This demonstrates both the strength and of the Stockmann brand and the appreciation of the loyalty program.
If we move on to our guidance for 2026: We expect revenue in local currencies to grow compared to 2025. The group's adjusted operating result is estimated to be between €70 to €95 million.
Of course, foreign exchange rate fluctuations may have a significant effect on the adjusted operating result. With that, I would like to hand over to Henrik, who will take us through the Q4 financials.
Henrik Henriksson
Thank you, Susanne. We can go to next page, please.
We're going to now spend some time to look more closely into the fourth quarter. Let's go to the next slide.
On this slide, we're trying to visualize how the Lindex division's revenue and adjusted operating result for the fourth quarter developed. For the Lindex division, the revenue increased by 7.6% and reached €181.9 million.
The revenue developed well due to improved product availability combined with a strong commercial offering in the quarter. We continued to increase our digital sales, and I'm really pleased with the increase of 15% in the Lindex division's digital channels for the quarter.
Our share now of digital revenue accounted for 23.1% compared to 21.1% previous year. The best-performing categories, they were lingerie followed by womenswear and kidswear, which together contributed the most to the revenue development.
Looking into our gross margin, it increased to 66.4%, and this is mainly due to favorable currency impact during the quarter. Our comparable operating cost increased to €71.7 million compared to €70.1 million previous year, and this is mainly due to increased marketing activities and sales volume-related operating costs.
Our adjusted operating result ended up at €29.4 million versus €26.8 million, and this is including items affecting comparability that are related to the additional costs arising from the omnichannel distribution center project. Then please, let's jump to the next page.
On this page, we're trying to visualize how the Stockmann division's revenue and adjusted operating result for the fourth quarter performed. As earlier stated, the Stockmann division's revenue decreased slightly by 1.6% and ended up at €102.9 million compared to €104.6 million previous year.
Comparable revenue, excluding the impact of the Itis department store closure in June and the transfer of the furniture assortment to the Stockmann division's new partner Vepsäläinen in September, grew compared to the comparison period. The digital sales increased by 5% and accounted for 16.1% compared to 15% previous year of the total revenue.
Stockmann's revenue in the fashion category improved, and the division outperformed the fashion market during the quarter. Stockmann's gross margin increased to 46.1% due to improved regular and promotional sales margins throughout the quarter.
Adjusted operating result slightly improved, mainly due to successful cost-efficiency measures. This marked the seventh consecutive quarter of Stockmann's result improvement.
With that, we go to the next page. Here, we're trying to visualize how the divisions impact the group's revenue and adjusted operating result during the fourth quarter.
The left-hand side here shows the revenue, which ended up an increase compared to the comparison period on group level. Lindex contributed with €12.8 million due to improved product availability and the strong commercial offering, and Stockmann had a decrease of €1.7 million, and this is mainly due to the Itis department store closure as well as the transfer of the furniture assortment in September, as we have already touched upon.
Looking into our adjusted operating result, it increased by €3.3 million on group level, and the key reasons for this increase were good cost control and improved gross profit. Lindex division adjusted operating result contributed by €2.7 million, and this is mainly due to improved gross profit.
The Stockmann division adjusted operating result improved by €0.3 million, and this is due to successful efficiency measures and revenue growth in comparable terms contributed to this positive outcome. Then let's jump to the next page.
Here, we're trying to visualize group key figures for the quarter. We can see that revenue increased slightly to the comparison period.
In local currency, the revenue increased by 2.7%. Adjusted operating result increased to €39.4 million, and operating result ended up at €33.8 million, and net result improved to €29.6 million.
The net result was impacted by utilization of tax losses carried forward. Our group's gross margin improved to 59.1% compared to 58.1% in the comparison period.
Earnings per share increased to €0.19, and this is mainly explained by the stronger net result for the quarter. If we then jump to the next page, and here we're trying to visualize how the profitability has developed over a longer period of time.
Here, we're quite happy to share with you that the Lindex division is increasing its 12-month rolling adjusted operating result compared to the previous quarters. If you look specifically at the operating result, it has more than doubled compared to the pre-pandemic levels.
If we look even further back, the improvement could have been even higher. Looking into the Stockmann division, they have also made significant improvements compared to earlier days, as for example 2020 and 2021.
And 2025 marks the first full-year positive adjusted operating result after several years. By that, we can go to the next page.
Here, we're trying to visualize how our cash flow development and our capital expenditures ended up for the full year. When it comes to the operating free cash flow, this is excluding the investment in our Lindex omnichannel distribution center, and it ended up at €55 million.
This is a strong cash flow improvement, and it was supported by positive revenue development, good inventory control, and also net working capital management throughout the year. If you look specifically at inventories, it decreased to €163.8 million compared to last year where we were at €169.6 million.
Lindex division saw improvements in its inventory levels due to strong commercial offerings and supply improvements related to the omnichannel distribution center project. Stockmann division's inventories declined due to good inventory management, and the closure of Itis department store and the transfer of Stockmann's furniture assortment to Vepsäläinen also lowered the Stockmann's inventories for the full year.
Looking into the fourth quarter, our CapEx, capital expenditure, ended up at €6.6 million versus €5.8 million, and this is mainly related to investments in digital growth and department store renovations in Helsinki, Turku, and Riga. By the end of December, approximately €103 million out of the total omnichannel center investment of €110 million has been paid.
We then take the next page, and we look into how our cash position has developed throughout the year. This graph presents the changes in the cash position per item from the beginning of the year to the end of December in relation to previous year.
At the end of December 2025, cash and cash equivalents ended up at €134.8 million compared to €114.7 million previous year. This strong cash flow improvement was supported by positive revenue development, good inventory control, and net working capital management.
Looking specifically at the fourth quarter, it generated a total cash flow of €81.3 million compared to previous year €48.8 million. We can then jump to the next page.
Here, we're trying to illustrate how the group's financial position has improved during the latest years, which it has and will enable our future growth. You can see in the graph that our net debt has remained on a very good level.
Excluding IFRS 16 items, the interest-bearing net debt was positive at €52 million. Our equity ratio improved further and reached 64.8% excluding IFRS item, and 33.3% including IFRS item.
Looking into our lease liabilities under the IFRS 16 reporting standard, it ended up at €594.4 million. Looking into the lease liabilities related to the Lindex division, they were at €288.8 million compared to €272.9 million last year, and the Stockmann division's lease liabilities ended up at €305.5 million versus €330.2 million previous year.
Our interest-bearing liabilities stood at €83.3 million. After the reporting period, yesterday, 5th of February, the Lindex Group signed a €50 million secured revolving credit facility agreement.
This credit facility matures in May '27, and it's subject to a 15-month extension options. We have also a pre-existing secured revolving credit facility corresponding to €40 million, which will mature in July 2028.
In total, the group currently have secured revolving credit facility up to €90 million, currently not used. Let's have a look at the financial targets and the development.
Looking at our performance in 2025, we can draw the following conclusions: Lindex has set a growth target aiming for an annual revenue increase of 3% to 5% in the mid term, with a clear objective of reaching 10 billion by the end of 2030. In 2025, Lindex achieved a growth rate of 1.3%.
Looking back in 2023, we had a growth rate of 2.7% followed by a drop 2024 by 0.9%. Looking into our digital share revenue, we have a target reach 30% in the mid term, and in 2025, the digital sales grew and ended up at 22.1% as a share of revenue.
Comparing to 2024, where we were at 20.8%, and that's also an improvement from 2023 where we were at 19%. For Lindex, the target is to reach 15% in adjusted operating margin in the long term, and 2025, we reach an operating margin of 11.2%, while we 2024 had an operating margin of 13.2% and compared to 14.3% 2023.
Overall, Lindex is progressing towards its financial targets. The financial targets we have, they were announced in November '23 for both divisions, and we will continue to progress and track these targets annually.
If we jump then and look how Stockmann division is performing compared to their targets: Focus in the mid term is achieving growth aligned with the market. By market, we refer to the addressable market in Finland, Latvia, and Estonia, comprising of fashion, beauty, and home categories.
Market statistics showed a decline of 0.6% 2025, while the Stockmann division reported a decline of 1.5%. In comparable terms, Stockmann was on par with the previous year, while the market declined.
Regarding the cash flow, the goal is to achieve positive cash free flow in the mid term. This objective will be, of course, supported by the target of improving profitability to a 5% adjusted operating margin in the mid term.
The Stockmann division positive free cash flow was -€19.4 million in 2025. Profitability was positively affected by significant cost savings in 2025, and we ended up at 0.4% in adjusted operating margin.
If we then summarize the financial highlights for the Q4 on the next page, we can see result improvements for both divisions, and it was accomplished in continued quite challenging market environment. The Stockmann division's first positive full-year adjusted operating result after several years is without a highlight for us.
With that, I would like to hand over to Susanne, who will pave our way forward. Thank you so much for listening.
Susanne Ehnbåge
Thanks, Henrik. Looking then at our way forward and starting with the Lindex division: Aligned with our strategy, we have big ambitions focusing on accelerating our growth while continuing our transformation into a more sustainable business and also improve scalability and efficiency in our business.
If we look specifically at 2026 on the next page, for the Lindex division, we are well positioned to accelerate our growth by leveraging the important investments that we have done now during the recent years. Accelerating our new omnichannel warehouse with full operation and also leveraging the benefits from our highly automated facility will mark an important milestone for us.
As I mentioned earlier, we are now approaching the final steps of our e-commerce ramp-up plan, and I am truly looking forward to seeing the full benefits this will bring. It will also allow the organization to focus entirely on profitable growth moving forward.
To drive growth, we need to continue placing the customer at center and further develop our offers in lingerie, womenswear, kidswear, and beauty. To drive our international expansion further, we will continue our focus on multichannel excellence.
We will continue expanding our presence and growth in Denmark, and we will open our second store in Odense during the spring. We will also launch in several additional locations in Denmark with our partner Magasin du Nord during the first quarter.
Digitalization is also one of the key enablers for accelerating our scalable growth and enhanced efficiency, and we'll continue to advance our digital transformation in our business to support this. We will also drive sustainability transformation with a focus on circularity, climate, and human rights.
Our 2025 targets have guided our sustainability work to date, and we are proud of the progress we have made. The results will be communicated in our coming CSRD report, and building on our learnings and a solid progress made, and to continue to drive change in the fashion industry while creating resilience and positive impact, we are now finalizing the new sustainability targets for 2030.
Looking at the Stockmann division's strategy, our key target is to improve the financial sustainability and competitiveness of the division. At the heart of this is operational efficiency, which is a key to boosting profitability and enabling also future investments.
We are committed to offering a premium, curated assortment featuring both exclusive brands and our own unique selections to set us apart in the market. We also want to strengthen our relationship with loyal customers by providing more personalized content and making our MyStockmann program even more beneficial and engaging.
Enhancing omnichannel performance is another priority, our customers will enjoy a seamless, high-quality experience whether they are shopping online or in-store. If we go to the next page, we can see that in 2026, Stockmann continues the disciplined execution of its strategy with a strong focus on profitability and competitiveness.
Systematic work on cost and operational efficiency remains central. Stockmann also continues to developing the organization to ensure both agile and efficient commercial operations.
The goal is to enhance agility between marketing, offering, and sales to stay highly competitive in the volatile market environment. The digital channel plays a critical role not only in driving growth and competitiveness, but also in strengthening the Stockmann's competitiveness in an increasingly digital retail landscape.
It continues to support the omnichannel performance by showcasing the full assortment, providing ongoing inspiration, facilitating seamless customer experience between the channels. Stockmann will activate customers through exclusive brand launches, anniversary campaigns, and seasonal inspiration.
Just yesterday, Stockmann launched the hyped women's underwear and leisure brand SKIMS, exclusively in Finland in the Helsinki flagship and online in Finland and Baltics, with many more exciting brands in the pipeline. This year also marks the 40th anniversary of the beloved Crazy Days, which we are happy to celebrate with our customers far and near.
Stockmann continues to enhance the value of its loyalty program by introducing new and tailored benefits based on customer data. This will include early access to campaigns, exclusive events, and new partnerships designed to increase relevance and loyalty.
With that, we now open up for questions from you. Let's see, do we have any questions?
I'm not sure if you seem to have a technical issue, but I unfortunately cannot hear any questions.
Marja-Leena Dahlskog
Let's then start by questions. We have received plenty of them, and we will start with Susanne.
Can you give your view on the fashion market outlook for 2026, and how do you see your revenue development in relation to market development?
Susanne Ehnbåge
Yes, of course. As I described earlier, the fashion market has remained pretty volatile, with only limited improvement in Q4 and not across all markets.
I would say despite this, both divisions outperformed the main markets. Looking ahead, improving consumer confidence and also purchasing power may gradually support demand, although difference might of course be between markets as well.
However, with that said also, I think we have strong levers of our own in the company with the Lindex division's omnichannel distribution center soon fully operational. We expect a smoother and more efficient logistic flow that will support our growth ambitions.
After a year with a strong focus on bringing the distribution center fully online and completing the group's restructuring program, I really look forward to shifting more attention towards accelerating growth. This includes further expansion in Denmark, as I mentioned, strengthening our assortment and in-store presentation, including lingerie, the project that we have been doing now at Lindex, and adding the right new and inspiring brands to Stockmann, such as the launch that we did yesterday with the brand SKIMS.
Yes.
Marja-Leena Dahlskog
Thank you, Susanne. Then we have a question to Henrik.
We have actually got two questions related to items affecting comparability. You had high items affecting comparability during fourth quarter.
What was the reason for this, and what kind of development do you foresee in this area for the coming months, Henrik?
Henrik Henriksson
I think it's an excellent question, and let me phrase it like this: The items affecting comparability in Q4, they were driven by project delays and technical disturbances that we encountered during the omnichannel distribution center project, the OCDC, and this happened early autumn, and it required corrective action as the year progressed. These are extraordinary and they are non-reoccurring costs.
They are related to restoring stable operations. It's about management of temporary capacity constraints.
It was about delivery delays that took place during this transition period of the new warehouses. We took these measures to reduce the risk of disturbances going into the important festive season here in Q4.
We do not foresee this development to continue at this magnitude now going into spring 2026.
Marja-Leena Dahlskog
Thank you, Henrik. Then we have a question related to the expansion in Denmark.
This would then go maybe to you, Susanne. You have opened your first owned store in Denmark.
What potential do you see in the Danish market?
Susanne Ehnbåge
We are super excited to strengthen our presence in Denmark, and we see that that market offer a strong potential for the Lindex offering as well. It is an important market for us, and we continue with that also to strengthen our presence in the Nordics.
We will, as I said, also open up our second store here during the spring, and also add several locations with physical presence with our partnership Magasin du Nord, but also planning more stores for the coming months as well.
Marja-Leena Dahlskog
Thank you. Then we have a question regarding gross margin development.
Henrik, could you please comment our gross margin development?
Henrik Henriksson
Yes, for sure. In Q4, the group's gross margin improved to 59.1% versus 58.1% 58.1% last year.
If you look at Lindex division, it increased mainly due to favorable currency impact. The Stockmann division's gross margin increased for Q4 and also full year due to good inventory and offering management as well as commercial tactics.
Looking into the group's gross margin for the full year, it was on par with previous year. Going forward, we maintain a stable gross margin outlook, broadly in line with the last couple of years.
For the Lindex division, approximately 80% of the products are purchased in US dollars, and that meaning that FX movements and also, of course, global freight cost development remain a very important margin driver for Lindex. Of course, possible favorable development in these area may support improved gross margin going forward.
Yes.
Marja-Leena Dahlskog
Thank you, Henrik. Then we have a quite wide question to Susanne to elaborate on how would you sum up the year for the group?
What would be the key highlights that you would take up?
Susanne Ehnbåge
I think, as many retailers, when we entered this year, we expected an improvement in the consumer confidence and also related the fashion market growth. However, due to slower than expected economic growth, that tailwind did not really materialize in 2025.
At the same time, the year has been demanding due to the execution of the omnichannel distribution center project, which have required significant resources and management focus. However, it is a critical and a strategic investment for the group and also for our future expansion.
Encouragingly, towards the end of the year, we have started see positive effects of this project. In addition, we were also able to complete the restructuring program.
The Lindex division delivered growth throughout the year, particularly very strong growth in the fourth quarter. The Stockmann division achieved a positive adjusted full-year result, and the group's continue to grow its loyal customer base, which I think is a very strong ingredients to drive future growth as well.
I think throughout the year, we have made and we will continue to make important investments for the future. This will be super important for us to secure a sustainable growth and long-term profitability.
By that saying, I'm really proud of what we have been achieving, and especially give my thanks to the employees at Stockmann and Lindex.
Marja-Leena Dahlskog
Thank you, Susanne. Then we have a question regarding the strategic assessment.
Are you still at the starting point when it comes to the department stores, or has there been any progress so far? If yes, what kind of progress?
Susanne, we have just got also another question which relates then to the strategic assessment that as the Stockmann division starts to be positive, are you seriously considering to divest it from the Lindex Group? Has there been progress?
If so, what kind? Does now the Stockmann's improved performance impact the assessment?
Susanne Ehnbåge
Yes. I'm very pleased with the Stockmann division's improvement, and happy that we have been able to now really do the execution and start seeing good results of that one.
Regarding the assessment, it is a very extensive process, and I cannot however comment on any details regarding that process or the progress of it. This is something that is owned by the board, and the Lindex Group will communicate the outcome of this work when appropriate.
Marja-Leena Dahlskog
Thank you. Then we go over to the Lindex division, and there we have a question related to the weather impact.
Some peers have commented Q4 impact from weather, as winter arrived late in Sweden. Did you at Lindex experience something similar, and I guess mainly in women's fashion and kidswear?
Are you in general impacted by seasonal or temperature fluctuations in the Lindex division?
Susanne Ehnbåge
I think I would say that the weather always have some impact on the customer behavior and needs, and therefore also on our revenue developments. What we can see from the fourth quarter is that all the bigger categories, and then I'm talking about the womenswear, kidswear, and lingerie, they all delivered good growth during the quarter.
I think this confirms that we have had a well-balanced assortment, and also a very positive and good customer response. Despite having maybe not the cold weather that we were anticipating or maybe wanted in some cases, I think we have been able to mitigate that.
Now it seems to be pretty cold, and the cold also came at the later part of December as well.
Marja-Leena Dahlskog
Thank you. Then we continue with you, Susanne, and we have two questions that relate to the Lindex division's market expansion.
The first question relates to Denmark, that can you give some soft values or indications you have received from Denmark so far? Then there is the second question, that if you are currently considering new entry areas on top of Denmark.
First indications, and then if there are thoughts for other countries to be entered.
Susanne Ehnbåge
Yes. Our approach, and starting focusing on Denmark, has been to open with our e-comm set up first to get a better understanding of where we are finding the first customers that really wants to buy Lindex garments and products.
After that, we are entering with collaborations. We have had a collaboration also before digitally, and now we also have physical presence then with Magasin du Nord since some time back.
First store then opened here during the autumn with a good progress. We definitely see that we have the potential to open more stores in Denmark, and we will have the second one here during the spring, and we're also looking at more locations.
Of course you need to be careful and find the right locations for future stores as well. I think the second part of the questions were more related to maybe extending our presence outside of Denmark, and this is not something that we have communicated at this point, so that I cannot say something about at this time.
Marja-Leena Dahlskog
Thank you, Susanne. Then we go over to Henrik and operating margins of the Lindex division.
What has driven the reduced operating margins in the Lindex division?
Henrik Henriksson
In Q4, the operating margin, they decreased. It was mainly due to increased operating costs and higher depreciation.
That's of course also driven from the OCDC investments project that we have started to depreciate during the year.
Marja-Leena Dahlskog
Thank you, Henrik. Then we go over to question related to cash flow.
Henrik, are you thinking about cash flow allocation, dividends or buybacks, and where the remaining cash is put in use?
Henrik Henriksson
Oh, from the company perspective, we're very committed to deliver upon our financial targets, and we're also very committed to what Susanne talked about when it was our strategy going forward. These combined will continue support our cash generation that was very positive during 2025.
We definitely believe that we have a very very good cash generation, and we have a big chance to continue generating cash. Then, I think it's not up to the company to decide on the other topics.
We're focusing on the financial targets that we are committed to deliver and the strategy that we have set for ourselves going forward for the division.
Marja-Leena Dahlskog
Thank you, Henrik. Then we have a question related to Stockmann's personnel costs.
Despite the efficiency measures highlighted in the 2024 annual report, inflation and wage developments in 2025 have likely offset these gains. 2020 2025 financial statements show that the monetary value of personnel expenses didn't drop in a linear fashion with the headcount.
This suggests that the cost per remaining employee has risen. Is there an efficiency paradox in the Stockmann division?
Susanne Ehnbåge
I'm trying now to follow the question, but I believe it's like this: Of course we have inflation and salary increases that impacts us and all other companies as well. The work that we have been doing here at Stockmann is of course to limit the impact of that and trying then to have an improvement on the cost level versus previous year.
This you can see both in terms of the personnel costs, but also related to other areas, for example systems and so on, that we have been focusing on during the last two years, I would say, and we'll continue to focus on going forward.
Marja-Leena Dahlskog
Thank you, Susanne. Then we stay in the Stockmann division, and there's a question related to fixed costs.
Also regarding to the Stockmann division and fixed costs, in 2025 results show that the cost structure remains too rigid. If sales drop by, the operating profit falls disproportionately more.
What concrete structural changes, not just incremental savings, have been planned to lower the fixed cost base for 2026?
Susanne Ehnbåge
We are focusing, as said earlier, on doing investments that would then support a lower cost base going forward. We have, for example, within the IT setup, that is one of those areas that we're looking into, as well as logistics, for example.
This is something that we can come back to when we also see and can explain more about that progress as well.
Marja-Leena Dahlskog
Thank you. Then Henrik, can you give us some update on the resolvment of the 2026 bond and how it possibly relates to the new credit facility?
What is your expected total impact on the interest paid on debt going forward?
Henrik Henriksson
I would like to state that we're very very pleased with securing additional RCF instrument or so we have now €90 million available. That enables, of course, among other things, possibly refinancing of the outstanding senior bond that we have during summer to address.
It is an option, and we're working determinedly to make sure that we handle that maturity in the best possible way. At current stage, we do not speculate or share due to the fact that we haven't made our final decision how to address that topic when that comes in the summer.
Marja-Leena Dahlskog
Thank you. We stay in the same area.
Are the cash at hand and revolving credit facilities enough to repay your bond, or are you planning new financing instruments regarding the refinancing of the bond?
Henrik Henriksson
In our current plan, we have sufficient financial headrooms to handle 2025, sorry, 2026, 2026 with the solutions we have at hand.
Marja-Leena Dahlskog
Thank you, Henrik. Then a question regarding current cash flow generation.
Do you, Henrik, expect the current cash flow generation to be stable, or will this likely unwind through working capital in the future?
Henrik Henriksson
I think we anticipate that our liquidity position will remain solid. It will be supported by continued working capital discipline and and of course also more normalized investment level going forward.
The expected benefits that we have from our projects, including the OCDC project, will will will support our cash generation. As soon as that's stabilized, we do foresee a broader project-driven investments and including also one-stock efficiencies, better allocation, improved logistic complexity or or reduced, and more scalable fulfillment platform.
Of course all these benefits are expected to strengthen our cash generation over time, and it will provide us even greater financial flexibility as we progress on our our strategic plan that we have set for ourselves going forward.
Marja-Leena Dahlskog
Thank you, Henrik and Susanne. These were the questions that we have received, we are ready to end this Q&A session.
Susanne Ehnbåge
Super. Thanks, Magda, and we have been able to keep it below an hour here.
Good. Thank you all for your good questions, and please be in touch with our Investor Relations via email if something comes up later.
We will publish our Q1 result on April 28th. See you in April at latest, and I would like to thank you all and I wish you all a nice day going forward.
Thanks.
Henrik Henriksson
Thank you.
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